Save the Last Dance for Me
by RoseDragonWitch
Summary: Kagome is a single mom who raised her son on her own since her husband left her. Inuyasha is a single father who cared for his daughter since his wife died. Kagome, a preschool teacher, Inuyasha, a martial arts master, will their kids bring them together?
1. Meeting

**Chapter 1: Meeting**

A young woman was walking along a dirt path licking an ice cream cone, while holding onto her son's hand.

"Momma?" asked the little boy with red hair and green eyes as he slurped up his ice-cream happily. "Can we go to the toy store later?"

"Shippo," replied the woman wearily. "Momma is very tired and we have to meet Uncle Sota for dinner soon. Besides we went last week."

"Yeah I know," said Shippo trying to give her the puppy dog eyes to win her over. "But I just want to look around."

His mother just raised her eyebrows before saying, "Nice try. But you know that those puppy dog eyes don't work on me anymore."

Shippo hung his head disappointed, "Right, I forgot." But he immediately brightened up and said, "I had to try right?"

Kagome laughed. "We'll go next weekend," she promised. Kagome walked through the park finishing up her treat as Shippo was going on and on about what he was going to do when school started. "Momma? Is kindergarten really gonna be hard?" he asked nervously.

She smiled at her son, "Don't worry Shippo," she answered kindly. "You're going to make a lot of new friends, and have a lot of fun. Even if it's hard, your friends and me will be there to help you."

"I'm so glad that you're gonna be my teacher, Mommy," he said smiling even wider. He went on asking about what school was going to be like as he and Kagome sat on a red park bench to rest their feet.

As Kagome answered her son's questions for a short while until she noticed something happening by a swing set right in front of them. A little girl that looked no older than 5 or 6 years old was sitting on the ground and was crying.

Kagome looked around, trying to see if the girl's parents were coming over to help her. But she and Shippo were the only ones around as far as she could see. She looked back towards the little girl and grew worried that maybe she had hurt herself on the swing set. "What is it Mommy?" asked Shippo's voice. He looked where his mommy was looking and saw the girl sitting there and crying.

Kagome stood up, "Come on, Shippo," she said. "Want to go and see if we can help that girl?" Shippo jumped down and took his mother's hand. "Let's go!" Kagome smiled proudly. Her son always tried so hard to help out. (Especially when it came to girls.)

The pair of them made their way towards the girl who continued to sob. "Excuse me?" she asked in a gentle voice. The little girl raised her head to see who was talking to her. "Are you hurt or something?"

She was an adorable little thing, with long white hair, and innocent purple eyes. She had the sweetest little smile when she shook her head. "No, I'm not hurt."

The girl wiped her tears away before she stood up. "Hi, my name's Shiori." said the child.

Kagome smiled kindly at the girl and said "Nice to meet you Shiori. My name's Kagome. And this here," she gestured towards Shippo, "This is my son, Shippo."

Shippo stepped forward so that he could shake Shiori's hand. "Hi!" he said so cheerfully that Shiori started to laugh. "Nice to meet you! I'm Shippo! Shiori, let's be friends alright?"

Shiori blinked in surprise before she nodded, "Yea! I made a new friend!" she cried out happily. Kagome smiled before she remembered that the child was alone. "Shiori? Where are your parents? Aren't they here with you?"

Shiori's eyes suddenly started to tear up. "I can't find my daddy," she said as the tears started to fall. "Daddy, told me not to wander off, but I didn't listen. And now I can't find him." Shippo walked over and gave her a hug. He held her Kagome knelt down in front of them trying to calm her down.

"Shiori?" asked Kagome. "It's going to be alright. We're going to help you find your daddy."

Shiori's head snapped up. "You will?" she asked.

Kagome smiled as she nodded. "Sure," said Shippo. "I'm not going to let anything happen to my new friend. We'll help you find your daddy."

Shiori rubbed her eyes on her sleeve before choking out a muffled thank you.

"Ok Shiori," said Kagome as she stood up. "Where was the last time you saw your daddy?"

Shiori then thought for a moment. "He was at the payphone and was talking to grandma."

_'The payphone?'_ thought Kagome, smiling. There were a set of payphones near the entrance of the park, he must be there. "I think I might know where your daddy is. Come on, let's go," said Kagome. As she reached for Shippo's hand, she felt Shiori's hand intertwined with her own fingers on the other side. Kagome looked at Shiori in surprise before giving her a big smile.

"Come on," she said to the children and the three of them headed towards the entrance.

_*Inuyasha*_

A young man was staring around him, trying to find his daughter. He had told her not to wonder off while he was on the phone. He had called his mother, making sure that she could watch Shiori while he was at work tonight. When he had hung up, he's little girl had disappeared.

"Shiori! Shiori, where are you!" yelled Inuyasha. He looked around in a panic but she wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Shiori!" yelled Inuyasha, trying to find any trace of his daughter. The park caught his eye; Shiori had asked him if they could go on the swing set when he was finished talking with grandma; but she must have gotten tired of waiting and went on ahead without him. Without wasting another minute, he started running towards the entrance.

_*Kagome, Shippo, Shiori*_

"And then mommy started to yell at Uncle Sota for being a big baby and to go ask Miss Hitomi out for dinner. But then Uncle Sota got all tongue-tied and couldn't say anything. Luckily, Miss Hitomi asked him to go out and all he could do was nod."

As the two began laughing at Shippo's imitation of Uncle Sota stuttering a yes, Kagome was looking around her trying to see where Shiori's father could be. That was then she realized that she had no idea what her father looked like.

Deciding that she needed some answers on what Shiori's father looked like she asked in a gentle tone, "Shiori, what does your daddy look like?" Kagome asked looking down at the children.

Suddenly Shiori got a big smile on her face. "Daddy has gold eyes and white hair!" she said jumping up and down in excitement. "Daddy also has doggy ears on the top of his head! Daddy even lets me touch them if I ask nicely!" Kagome smiled at the child's excited attitude.

_'Shiori's sure seems to love her father. But I wonder why she hasn't said anything about her mother,'_ Kagome wondered as she flashed a big smile at the little girl.

Apparently, Shippo was wondering the same thing. "Hey Shiori, what's your mommy look like?" Shippo asked with a curious look on his face.

Suddenly the happy child seemed to go back to being sad and scared again. Shiori looked down at the ground and clutched Kagome's hand tighter. It seemed that Shiori's mother was a touchy subject. Finally the young child spoke "Daddy said that Mommy went to heaven a long time ago. The kids at school pick on me about not having a mommy." Shiori's eyes began to water and she started to cry.

Kagome felt a sudden pity for the small child. And her son went over to hug her. "It's alright," he said. "I don't have a daddy; but I still have mommy," he looked up at Kagome and smiled. "Better to have one parent than none, right?"

Kagome's eyes teared up as she bent down to wrapped Shippo and Shiori in her arms. Softly she smoothed Shiori's hair and whispered comforting words to her. She understood what the girl was going through. Her own mother had died when she was very young; and ever since, her father had become very protective of her and her brother. She remembered the cruel words from the children that picked at her for not having a mother. She remembered how her father always swore that he would never remarry, except in heaven with his wife. She knew how much it hurt to not have a mother.

Soon Shiori's tears stopped and the child hiccupped until she calmed down.

"There, there," she said when she was sure that Shiori had calmed down. "It's going to be ok." She pulled away and began to wipe Shiori's eyes with a tissue before continuing, "Now let's find your father, I'm sure that he's…"

"SHIORI!" yelled a deep voice from out of nowhere. Kagome jumped and spun around to see a tall man with long white hair standing as if frozen behind them.

Inuyasha had been all over the park, trying to find his daughter. He was starting to worry that something horrible had happened to her while he was wasting time on the phone. "SHIORI!" he cried out. His little girl was lost and he had to find her or else he would lose his mind.

_'Shiori, where did you go?'_ he thought to himself.

"There, there…" said a musically beautiful voice from somewhere behind him.

He turned in the direction of that voice, and stopped dead when saw that a young woman was wiping his daughter's eyes with a tissue and a small boy with red hair was talking to her. Shiori was smiling and talking to the other two calmly.

As soon as he saw that his girl was safe, Inuyasha let out a huge sigh of relief. Normally he would be angry that she was talking to strangers, but this time he'd make an exception. He took off running towards the trio.

"SHIORI!" he yelled. He saw the woman jump up and spun around in surprise. As soon as he saw her face, he froze. Standing in front of him was a beautiful woman

His daughter looked up to smile at the woman before she ran to Inuyasha with her arms open.

"Daddy!" she yelled as she ran up and hugged her father.

Inuyasha bent down and gave her a bone-breaking hug. He breathed in her sweet, floral scent as if it were the most wonderful thing he had ever taken in. After a few minutes he pulled away and gave his daughter a stern look before saying in a scolding tone, "Shiori…"

"Papa," she said, with her head held down.

"Shiori what where you thing going off on your own like that?" Inuyasha asked, clearly waiting for an answer. Shiori looks down at her folded hands in shame.

"I wanted..."

"That was dangerous Shiori, you could have been kidnapped… possibly even…" He didn't want to even think about that next part.

"I'm sorry papa... I just wanted to go and play in the park," she said mutely.

"Then why didn't you wait for me to get off the phone?" Inuyasha questioned.

Kagome saw that Shiori was starting to cry again. "She said she was sorry," Kagome cut in. "I think she feels bad for what she did, and I think you should let it drop."

"Yeah," said Shippo agreeing with his mother. "Leave her alone!"

Inuyasha looked up at the sound of the voices; first looking at the little kid, before looking up into the face of the woman. He stood up so that he could get a better look at her.

Her ebony hair falling only about half as far down her back in soft curls, which accented her dark, mysterious but warm brown eyes set within a kind, heart-shaped face She wore a shirt the same color of the sky, outlined in blue velvet, accenting her shapely figure and slim waist.

_'She's beautiful,'_ he thought to himself.

Shiori took this moment to run over to them while saying to her father, "Papa! This is Ms. Kagome and Shippo! They took care of me and helped me find you!"

Shiori came skipping up to Kagome and grabbed her hand and Kagome had to bend down slightly as Shiori led her and Shippo to her father. When they stopped and Kagome was able to straighten her posture she got a good look at the man. (He seemed six foot because he was taller than she was) He had long silver hair and two adorable dog-ears on the top of his head. He had honey colored eyes she knew she could get lost in.

_'I guess this is where Shiori gets her looks,'_ she thought. Shiori spoke up again.

"Ms. Kagome, Shippo, this is my Daddy," she said smiling up at Kagome.

To not seem rude Kagome stuck out her hand and smiled, "Pleased to meet you, I'm Kagome Higurashi. And this is Shippo."

Shippo gave him a cheerful smile and a small wave. "Hiya!"

"Inuyasha Takashi," said Inuyasha as he took her hand. "Thank you for taking care of Shiori."

Kagome smiled and Inuyasha's heart seemed to skip a beat (or maybe he was just imagining it.) "It was no problem," she said. "I think that she is just adorable. I was happy to help."

"Mommy?" said Shippo suddenly.

Kagome looked down at him. "Mommy? Can we stay and play with Shiori a little longer?"

Shiori's eyes lighten up at the thought and she gave her daddy the bambi eyes. "Can we, daddy?" she begged. "Can I stay and play with Ms. Kagome and Shippo? Please, please, please?" Both Shippo and Shiori pouted at the worried looks on their parents faces.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome grimaced, then sighed. He bent down to Shiori's level and said in a gentle voice, "I'm sorry, Shiori. But daddy has work tonight and you have to go to grandma's."

Kagome then told Shippo, "And we have to go and meet Uncle Sota at the restaurant in about 15 minutes."

"But mommy," began Shippo before putting down his head. "Right." He looked over to Shiori and said, "But we can still be friends right?"

Shiori's eyes brighten up at that and said, "YES!"

"OK," said Inuyasha, hating to break up this cute scene. "Shiori… we have to go now. Grandma's probably wondering where we are."

Shiori nodded before taking Inuyasha's hand. She looked back at Kagome and Shippo and said in the sweetest little voice, "Thank you for helping me."

Kagome gave her a big smile. "You're welcome." As the children began saying their goodbyes, Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's face again. She seemed to be mesmerized by his beautiful honey colored eyes… they seemed familiar…

"Have we… have we met somewhere before?" she asked him suddenly.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "I don't think so. Why?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. But something about you seems familiar. Like I knew you from somewhere before…"

Inuyasha started at her face for a moment before he realized that she was right. He did seem to know here somewhere… but that was impossible. After all this was the first time the met… right?

"Papa?" said Shiori's voice. "Are you ok?" Inuyasha shook his head before coming back down to earth. "I'm sorry," he said to Kagome. "I just zoned out for a moment. Anyways thanks again," he then began to pull Shiori's towards the exit.

"By Ms. Kagome! Bye Shippo!" cried Shiori as she and her father waved until they were out of sight.

Kagome and Shippo waved back, even after they were long gone. Kagome put her hand down half-heartily before she remembered that they were supposed to be meeting Sota at the restaurant. She took Shippo's hand and began to walk in the opposite direction, towards another exit, where their car was parked.

"I'm going to really miss Shiori," said Shippo suddenly. He looked up at Kagome and said, "Do you think that we'll meet them again?"

Kagome smiled at him and said, "You know Shippo… something tells me that we will."

She looked up again, _'Inuyasha…' _

"Papa, Shippo is really funny. And don't you think that Ms. Kagome is pretty?" Shiori asked her father as they headed out of the park gates.

Inuyasha didn't even pay attention to what his daughter had just said; there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.

_'Kagome'_

(Well? What do you think of this story? Do you think it should continue? Please let me know what you think of it!)


	2. Welcome to Kindergarten

**Chapter 2: Welcome to Kindergarten **

"Mommy?" asked Shippo from his car seat as Kagome was driving them to school. "Are you sure that school is gonna be fun? I mean all those older kids on our block all say that they hate school."

"Shippo," said Kagome. "Those kids are all just finding excuses to complain. I'm sure that deep down the love school; they just don't want to admit it. I promise, you'll going to love it."

A few minutes later, she had parked and was helping Shippo out of his car seat. "And besides," she said once he was unbuckled, "If anything happens… I'll be there right?"

Shippo grinned up at her toothily. "Right!"

"Welcome to your first day of Kindergarten," a beautiful woman said to a mother who had left her her son and daughter at the front gate. The mother bent down to her two children, "Now be good for me, ok sweet hearts?" she said as she gave them both a kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye to the young woman at the gate. As soon as the mother left, the young woman got down to their eye level and smiled.

"Alright, ready for a day of fun Mayu? Satoru?" said the teacher. "My name is Sango and I'm sure that you'll going to love it here!"

The little boy nodded and took hold of the young woman's hand as she let him into the building.

"Sango!"

Sango turned to see her best friend coming towards her with little Shippo hanging onto her hand as usual. "Hello Kagome," she called. She bent down to Satoru and Mayu and said, "This is my friend Kagome and her son Shippo. Why don't you go and say hi?"

Satoru looked up at the woman before looking at the boy, and then down at his feet before saying in a shy voice, "Hi." Mayu on the other hand went running up to greet them in a bright voice, "Hello!"

"Hello Mayu, Satoru," said Kagome in a gentle voice. Shippo came bounding over and began to strike up conversation. Kagome smiled as she and Sango led the kids inside and over to their little cubby holes. "You kids play nice now," said Sango as she led Kagome towards the office.

"Sango?" asked Kagome in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"We've got a small problem," answered Sango. "One of the boys here started to throw-up and has a fever. I'm afraid that he as a bug or something and might end up giving it to everyone else here. I've brought him into one of the smaller rooms until you got here."

Kagome only nodded as she followed her to where the little boy was. When she entered the room, she saw that the boy was sitting on a blue beanbag chair and was holding his stomach with his eyes closed. When he heard someone enter he opened them to stare at his visitors solemnly with big violet eyes. Kagome smiled as gently as she could as she bent down to him.

"Hi, what's your name?" she asked him in a sweet voice.

"Bunza…" he replied weakly. "I don't feel good."

Bunza had gone very green all of a sudden, and Kagome leapt back only just in time before he threw-up all over the floor. As she began to pat him on the back, and told him that it was going to be ok, she looked up at Sango.

"Sango? Call Bunza parents. Tell them that he's sick and to pick him up as soon as possible."

Sango nodded and left the room.

"Teacher? My head hurts," Bunza said as he rolled up onto his side. Kagome sighed and picked up the little boy.

"I'm taking you to another room so that you can take a nap, alright?" she said soothingly. "You're parent's will be here soon to take you home."

Bunza nodded as he lean his head to Kagome's shoulder and fell asleep, now knowing that he was in good hands.

_*Inuyasha and Shiori*_

"Papa? Are you sure that I'm going to like Kindergarten?" said Shiori looking at the buildings passing by as she sat comfortably in her car seat.

"Yes, Shiori," Inuyasha replied. "You're going to have fun, learn things, and make plenty of friends.

"Why do I have to go to school?" she questioned with innocent eyes.

"Because grandma can't watch you every time that daddy has to work, and this way, you'll be having fun."

'_And because it's the law,' _he thought.

"Oh… ok," said Shiori smiling.

A few minutes later, they came to a stop in front of Shiori's new school. "WOW!" she said as her father helped her out of the car and she looked up. "It's so big!"

Inuyasha smiled as they came in with Shiori looking around in excitement. She let go of her father's hand and darted towards one of the rooms where a small girl about her age was playing with blocks. Shiori smiled and asked if she could play, before sitting down with her.

Her father smiled sadly as he left to finish filling out the enrollment papers for Shiori before he left. He looked around for the office; trying to avoid all the kids that were racing each other through the rooms, and playing games. Overall this school seemed to be full of life and fun. Just the kind of place he wanted for his little girl. Ah, here's the office!

As he walked in, he saw there was a young woman cleaning up what looked disgustedly like puke. Carefully stepping around the spill of sick, he went and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey? I need to…" he began.

"I'm sorry," said the woman as she continued to clean up. "But I need to get this stuff up before class starts. If you want to talk to someone…" she pointed to the office behind her, "The one in charge is in there."

"Fine," said Inuyasha annoyed. He was already late for work… so why not stay a little longer? He walked into the room without even bothering to knock, and he saw a woman with her back to him taking care of a child that looked like he was the one responsible for the mess.

"Hey? Excuse me?" he said to the woman. "I need to…" he was cut off when the woman stood up and turned around. He was able to get a good look at her… and he felt his heart stop for a brief moment.

She stared at him as if she couldn't believe her eyes. For a moment, neither of them seemed to be able to speak. And then…

"Inuyasha?"

"Kagome?"

She looked just like the last time he saw her; beautiful.

They both seemed to be trapped in some kind of trance as they stared at each other's faces. Kagome was somehow able to come out of it first, and was also able to put on a large smile. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise," she said although the word pleasant didn't come close to how glad she was to see him again.

"Yeah," he said when he also came back down to earth. "Don't tell me that you're the one who's in charge of the school that Shiori's going to from now on?" Kagome's smiled widened when she heard Shiori's name. "Shiori's going to be coming here? Oh I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that! I've missed both you and Shiori, and I can't wait to see the look on Shippo's face when he sees her again!"

Inuyasha had lost track of what she was saying after he heard her say that she missed him. Without him realizing it, he felt as if he had become weightless…

He was pulled out of his trance by a hand sweeping in front of him.

"Inuyasha?" she said with concern in her voice. "Are you alright?"

"Umm, yeah, err…" he stuttered trying to think of an excuse. "I was just… just…"

She gave him a confuse look

He finally stopped stuttering and said, "Yeah, I'm trying to finish the paperwork to enroll Shiori."

She smiled at him and led him to a desk in the corner of the room.

"Please take a seat "she indicated to the chair next to him.

He sat down and they both began to finish Shiori's enrollment. When they were done, she asked how he had been since they last time they saw each other. As Inuyasha was about to answer, the woman who he saw cleaning up the mess came in, followed by a young man with blue eyes, pointed ears, and his hair pulled into a long ponytail came, interrupting the conversation.

"Kagome? Bunza's father is here to pick him up."

"Alright," said Kagome turning her attention to the new male, "Nice to see you again Mr. Wolfe. Your son is over there."

The man nodded and went over to his boy, who was still sleeping peacefully.

A small growled came from Inuyasha, something about that guy just didn't sit well with him. He didn't dare take his eyes off him until wolf-boy picked up his son and left. He was about to say something to end the quite atmosphere, when all of a sudden something, or rather, someone hugged him from behind.

"Daddy!" cried out Shiori. "I made lots of new friends!" Inuyasha only smiled seeing how happy his daughter was at school. "Shiori? Guess who's going to be your teacher?"

Shiori looked up to the pretty lady that was talking to her father, and she gasped. "Ms. Kagome?" she cried in amazement. "Is that you? Are you really going to be my teacher? I've missed you and Shippo so much! Is he here too? Where is he? Can I talk to him?"

Kagome gave her a brilliant smile as she came out from behind the desk and was given a big hug from the little girl, which caused all 3 of them to laugh.

"Yes, it's me Shiori. And yes, I'm going to be your teacher and I've missed you too. Shippo should be around here somewhere," Kagome said when Shiori finished her hug. She looked Inuyasha in the eyes and smiled. He smiled back noticing just how easy it was to do so with her here.

Kagome went to the door, stuck her head out, and called out to the other woman, "Sango? Can you bring Shippo here for a minute? I have a surprise for him!"

Sango looked a little taken aback but said 'no problem' and went to find Shippo.

Once she had left, Kagome bend down to Shiori's level and said, "I hope that you're going to like it here, Shiori."

Shiori smiled and said, "If you and Shippo are here then I'm going to have the time of my life here!" She then started to talk about everything that has happened to her and daddy since the day that they met. She talked about how daddy had to work long hours and she would have to stay with grandma, how her Uncle Sesshomaru, (or Uncle Fluffy) would come over and then he and daddy would start fighting. How her Auntie Rin was going to be having a baby, or how she really missed Shippo and Ms. Kagome.

She was just starting to talk about how she was now looking forward to school when the door opened up and Shippo came in. "Mommy, what is it? Ms. Sango was saying that you had a surprise for me and…" he stopped dead when he saw who was standing there with his mother.

"Shiori?" he said in astonishment. Kagome smiled at the look on his face before he ran forward and gave Shiori a big hug. "Shiori! I've missed you so much!" he let go of her and looked up at his mother, "Is Shiori going to be coming to school here?" he asked in a pleading voice. Kagome could only nod with that sweet smile.

"YEA!" he cried out. He took Shiori's hand and said, "Come on! Let me show you around! Mommy's going to be teaching us so things are going to be great! Come on, I want you to met all the other kids!" and without as much as another look at the grown-ups, the two of them left the room.

"Cute," said Kagome after a moment of silence. She looked up at Inuyasha and said, "He really has missed her. It was like he lost his best friend. I'm glad that things worked out this way."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha staring at her. "Me too."

Kagome looked up at him. "Are you ok?" she asked. "You're zoning off again. What? Did you forget your coffee or something this morning?"

"Maybe," said Inuyasha. That was when he realized that he was late for work. "Oh, crap!" he hollered.

"Inuyasha!" snapped Kagome. "This is a school!"

"Look sorry! But I'm late!" without another word he headed out the door and back to his car. Just as he opened the car door he heard a familiar voice call out, "Daddy!"

He turned to see Kagome, Shiori, and Shippo waving at him from behind a fence. "Don't forget to come back and get me daddy!" called out Shiori.

He grinned at that. "How could I forget my little girl?" he called back and began to wave. There was a part of him that wanted to stay a little longer, but he couldn't skip out on work today. He took one last look at the trio before he backed out and left.

By the time he got to work, he was hardly paying any attention to anything around him. All he could think of is that he would see Kagome again when he picked up Shiori at 3.

(I need help decided what Sango and Miroku's kids should be named. Twin girls and a boy. any ideas? what do you think of this story? should i continue it?)


	3. She's Single!

**Chapter 3: She's Single!**

The sky was of the clearest blue and the sun was usually bright today. Inuyasha looked up to the clock on the wall; and was practically counting down the minutes until he had to go and pick up Shiori. He was so restless to leave, that he momentarily forgotten that his students were all there._ (He ran a small martial arts dojo and he ran classes in the afternoons.)_

_'Kagome' _he thought as he closed his eyes. It had been nearly two weeks that he had enrolled Shiori in Kagome's school. And every time that he would drop off his daughter; Shippo would be waiting for the two of them to run off and play until class started. While they played, Kagome would be outside at the gates greeting all the children and said good morning to all the parents with a big smile. She would smile at him and he would smile at her…

"Excuse me?" said one of his students.

Inuyasha woke up from his stupor. "What is it?" he said looking around and realizing that he had stopped in the middle of his lesson to daydream.

"What now?" asked another student.

"Now? Now… we…" began Inuyasha shaking his head. "You know? I think that we've done enough for today. I'll let you all leave a little bit early."

"But why?" one kid called out.

"Yeah," yelled another, "We were just getting to the good stuff."

"LOOK!" shouted Inuyasha. "Don't kids usually get excited about leaving class early? You're all dismissed for the day!"

Everyone left rather quickly after that.

_'Damn,'_ he thought. _'What's wrong with kids these days?' _He looked back up at the clock, but it was still too early to go pick up Shiori. Inuyasha went back into his stupor and let a sigh escaped his lips. Kagome's face continued to flicker in and out of his mind.

_*The schoolyard*_

"Ms. Kagome look! Look at what me and Shippo made!" Shiori pointed to the large sandcastle that the two of them had built together.

Kagome smiled at them. "Nice job you two. I'm glad to see you guys get along so well."

They beamed at her with identical genuine smiles, before she got up and left to check on a few kids that were playing on the monkey bars.

Once the two of them were alone, Shiori said sweetly, "I like your mommy. She's so nice."

Shippo nodded. "Yeah, she's the best! I mean… sometimes she can be a little bossy, like when she tells me to clean my room or to eat my veggies. But she's still the best mom in the whole world!" they worked for a few more minutes on building another tower for their castle when he asked her, "What about your daddy? What's he like?"

Shiori started to dig a moat before answering, "Daddy's a teacher too. He runs a dojo studio downtown."

Shippo looked up impressed. "Really? Can he fight?"

"Of course he can fight," said Shiori smiling. "He can be a little rough around the edges but he's still the best daddy you can ask for." She looked up at Shippo and asked, "Shippo? Remember the day we first met?"

Shippo nodded and Shiori went on, "What did you mean when you said that you didn't have a daddy?"

Shippo had gone very pale and an angry look came over his face. "Shippo?" asked Shiori in puzzlement as she saw Shippo's angry and hurt look. "Did I say something wrong?"

Shippo was about to answer when he saw Kagome run out of the building and heading over to the gate. He was just wondering why she was going there in such a hurry, when his eyes caught sight of someone with long white hair and dog ears standing there waiting.

It was Inuyasha, and he looked like he was really happy to be here; he smiled at Kagome and she gave him a big smile back. Shippo looked from his mommy to Inuyasha and back again in confusion. _'What's going on?'_ he thought.

"Daddy!" Shiori exclaimed when she just realized that her father was there. She got up and ran to her father and gave him a big hug. Inuyasha picked her and smiled.

"So how was Kindergarten runt?"

"Runt?" Kagome question with raised eyebrows.

"That's what papa calls me," Shiori chirped up brightly.

"It's because she's so puny," Inuyasha responded.

Shiori shook her head no at this, which made Inuyasha quirked his own eyebrows.

"No?"

"I won't be little forever!" Shiori said proudly. "I'm going to be a lady one day!"

Kagome giggled which made them turned their attention to her, "And I'm sure that you are going to be a beautiful, lady," Kagome said just as Shippo came over.

"A lady?" he question when he arrived.

"That's right!" said Shiori. "Are you saying I'm not a lady buster?"

Shippo looked at them in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"We were talking about how Shiori is going to be a lady one day," said Kagome bending down to Shippo. "And how you're going to be a strong, young man."

"Oh," said Shippo as he raised his head in pride. "I sure will be!"

Inuyasha let out a grin, "I'm sure your father would be proud." Inuyasha knew right away that he said something wrong. Shippo looked up at his mother in a sad way, and she looked upset for a brief moment.

Shippo then looked back at Inuyasha and said in a depressed voice, "I don't have a daddy. Uncle Sota says that my daddy ditched me and mommy a long time ago."

"Shippo," said Kagome under her breath.

_'Ditched?'_ thought Inuyasha in amazement. But who could possible leave a woman like Kagome and an annoying, but sweet, kid like Shippo?

"What does ditched mean?" asked Shiori looking at her father.

"It means…" said Shippo, sounding bitter, "That he left me and mommy a long time ago. And you know what? I'm glad I don't know him! I'm glad that he left!" he then turned and went running off before anyone could stop him.

"Shippo!" called out Kagome in troubled tone. She looked back at Inuyasha and Shiori and said, "It's true. I was married for a little while, but a few months after Shippo was born… me and my ex-husband… well… we had a lot of problems… and it just didn't work out." She looked at her son's retreating back and said, "I'm sorry. But I have to go. Have a good evening!" and without another word, she ran off after Shippo.

For a minute, Inuyasha stood there with Shiori in his arms with a stunned look on their faces. _'Yeah…'_ he thought, _'Like I'm going to have a going to have a good evening with guilt.'_

"Daddy?" whispered Shiori looking hurt and upset.

"Come on, runt," he said. "It's time for us to go." And without another word, the two of them left. When Inuyasha was strapping Shiori into her car seat, he was fighting with his conscience to go back and apologize to Kagome and Shippo. But somehow he couldn't bring himself to do so.

All he could think of, and he felt a little ashamed for doing so, was that Kagome was beautiful, kind, gentle, and… single.

(Do you think that I should start leaving a preview at the end of my chapters? And for those of you who have been reading beauty and the half-demon… would you like to start voting for chapter names here? Please let me know and what you think of this story!)


	4. Special Treat

**Chapter 4: Special Treat**

_*The next day*_

Inuyasha was dropping off Shiori like he always did nowadays; only they left the house little bit earlier so that he could talk to Kagome and Shippo.

"Daddy?" asked Shiori quietly from the back seat. "Why would a daddy leave his family?"

Inuyasha sighed. "I don't know sweetheart," he answered truthfully. He knew that Shiori was thinking about what had happened with Kagome and Shippo yesterday. And he also knew that she must be worried about seeing them today. I mean… what were they supposed to say after what happened?

"Shiori?" said Inuyasha after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "I think that it be best not to ever talk to Shippo about his dad again unless he brings it up."

Shiori nodded glumly, "Should I apologize for asking him about it?"

Inuyasha nodded, "Yes, and I want to talk to Kagome about that when I pick you up today, alright?"

Shiori nodded again, which by the time they were right in front of the school. Inuyasha quickly helped her out and lead her to the gate as he always did, and like he always did, he looked around for Kagome. He was glad to see her standing at the gates waving and smiling like usual; he stopped to watch her for a moment. When she looked in their direction and spotted them standing there, she waved at them cheerfully. However, Inuyasha could see that she was avoiding their eyes.

Inuyasha let go of Shiori's hand and got down on one knee to look at her in the eye and said, "Shiori? I think that it would be best if you go up alone to Ms. Kagome."

Shiori turned her head in confusion, "Why?"

Inuyasha looked back up at Kagome before turning back to Shiori and replied, "I don't think that Kagome wants to see me right now. But I promise to talk to her when I come to pick you up."

Shiori nodded and gave her father a hug. "Be good runt," was all he said. "Don't do anything that I would do."

Shiori smiled at him and waited until she saw her father get into the car and drive off. When she was sure that he was gone, she looked back at the school to where her teacher was. Kagome was still standing at the gates and was talking to one of the mothers who had dropped off her daughter; Kagome was laughing at something she said.

Shiori took a deep breath, and made her way over to Kagome and waited patiently until the two women had stopped talking.

"Anyway," said the mother. "My little Koume is highly allergic to peanuts, so be sure that she doesn't get feed any in their afternoon snacks alright? It would put my mind at ease if the teachers all know."

Kagome smiled reassuringly at her before saying, "I'll be sure that Koume doesn't come anywhere near a peanut, I promise," she shook the woman's hand before she left, leaving Kagome and Shiori alone. Once the woman had left, Shiori approached Kagome; she tugged on the end of Kagome's skirt and said quietly, "Ms. Kagome?"

Kagome looked down and saw Shiori; she gave her a gentle smile before she kneeled down to the little girl's level. "Hello Shiori."

That greeting and smile was encouraging, so Shiori continued, "Ms Kagome? I'm sorry." She then began to stare down at her feet.

Kagome turned her head to the side in a confuse manner, "Why?"

Shiori said, without looking up, "I never should've asked about Shippo's daddy. I made you and him both really upset and I'm sorry."

Kagome merely gave her a sad smile as she gently brushed Shiori's hair from her face. "It's alright," she said kindly. "You didn't know. I talked with Shippo yesterday, and I think he wants to talk to you." She then pointed towards the sandbox, "He's waiting for you over there."

Shiori gulped. She looked up at Kagome for encouragement; Kagome smiled and took her hand. She led Shiori over to the sandbox. "Shippo?" said Kagome. "Look who's here!"

Shippo, who was finishing their castle, looked up; he gave them both a quick smile before turning back to keep digging. Shiori looked up at Kagome again before she sat down next to Shippo. She waited until Kagome had returned to the front gate before saying anything. "Shippo?" she asked timidly, "I'm really, really sorry."

Shippo shrugged. "Me too. I shouldn't have acted like that. It just that…" he seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Shiori waited patiently, "It's just what?"

Shippo just kept digging for a few minutes until he seemed to find the right words. "It's just… my daddy just got up and… and left! He just left me and mommy like he didn't care about us at all. Daddy left when I was only a few months old so I don't even know what he looks like!" he sighed, "Grandpa said that he gave my daddy a choice… and daddy choose to leave us!"

"I'm sorry," said Shiori sadly. "I know how that feels. I mean… I know how it feels to not know what one of your parents looks like. Daddy told me… that my mommy died when I was only a few months old. But at least your daddy is still alive."

Shippo snorted, "Doesn't matter. He doesn't want to see us… so I don't want to see him. I never got so much as a phone call or a letter from him! It's clear that he doesn't want to see me so I don't ever want to see him." Shippo sighed again, "I'm doing it again aren't I? Getting mad? Sorry, it's hard to talk about."

Shiori nodded, "Ok, let's forget about that and start building a bigger castle!" It worked, she got Shippo to smile again and the two of them began to create another sandcastle until the bell rang for them to all come in. As they headed up the stairs, Kagome grinned when she saw them both talking happily to each other.

"Shiori?" she said as they came near, "It's going to be snack time soon, what would you like?"

"Ramen!" Shiori yelled in excitement.

"Ramen?" said a confuse Kagome and Shippo. Shiori only nodded.

"Ramen is my favorite food!"

Kagome smiled and nodded, while trying not to laugh, "Alright I think that we can have Ramen for one day." Shiori jump with joy.

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha's students all knew when Inuyasha was in a bad mood; he was always so much harder on them when he was angry or upset. In fact, he was working them so hard, that they were all on the brink of tears.

Thankfully, the clock just struck 10 to noon. It was time to go. And let me tell you, the students have never been happier to leave class than now.

Inuyasha wiped his sweaty face on a towel as his students all bowed and left. Damn it! His conscience was killing him! He wanted to go and talk to Kagome more than anything else right now. He wanted to go and apologize!

He looked up at the clock… he had about an hour before his next class would come in… he could hurry to the school and back in time… besides… they should be having snack time in about 10 minutes… so he wouldn't be interrupting them…

He made a quick change of clothes and left to his car.

_*Kagome*_

"Alright everyone its snack time," Kagome called out. "Put down your pencils and come and get it!"

All the children jumped up and came to the little tables in the lobby. While they all lined up, Kagome told Sango to watch the children while she finished preparing the Ramen. As she headed toward the kitchens that were on the other side of the lobby, she froze at whom she saw. In front of her was none other than Inuyasha.

Not being sure what to say, Kagome said a quick hello and tried to walk pass him. She was about to go to the kitchen when Inuyasha said something that she did not expect, "I'm sorry." Kagome looked at him in surprise. His face was one of misery, a face that just didn't go with his personality.

Kagome nodded and smiled at him. "It's alright, you didn't know. I'm sorry but I have to go prepare Ramen for the kids."

"Ramen? You give Ramen to children in kindergarten? I thought it was only 'Healthy and Nutritious' food here." When he said healthy and nutritious, he made little quotation signs with his fingers.

"Kagome gave him a grin. "It's for someone special, I asked her what she wanted for a snack today and she said Ramen."

Inuyasha didn't have to think hard on who that person was. "We both love that stuff."

"Oh? Are you hungry? We've got plenty."

"No, I'm not hungry," he said. But then, all of a sudden, his stomach grumbled in disagreement. Inuyasha blushed of embarrassment while Kagome giggled and told him to follow her.

After she had finished with the Ramen, gave Inuyasha a bowl and took the rest out to the lobby for Sango and the rest of the children, who by this time were waiting impatiently for food.

The children looked at the Ramen; they all inhaled the sweet aroma, and licked their lips as they began to engulf the food.

"Thaks you ms. 'gome," Shiori said between slurps.

"Thanks mommy," said Shippo reaching for a cup.

"You're welcome," said Kagome smiling at them all. Once she made sure that everyone had some, she returned to the kitchen to see that Inuyasha had already finished his bowl. She smiled and asked him politely if he wanted seconds, to this Inuyasha nodded. While he ate, Kagome began a quick clean up of the kitchen.

Inuyasha ate in silence for a moment, he really wanted to know the truth about Kagome and her ex-husband… but he was afraid of saying anything else to make her upset.

"My former husband's name is Hojo," said Kagome as she began to wash some dishes.

Inuyasha looked up in surprise. Kagome smiled again at the look on his face before continuing, "I know that you want to know the truth, and I don't see the harm in letting you know." She let out a tired sigh. "My father always said that Hojo was the wrong person and I should have listened." She was quiet for a minute before going on, "I guess we just married too young. That, and Hojo didn't want the responsibility of a child to look after. After Shippo was born… we… well, we've always had a lot of problems… but our arguments just got a lot worse. Until they finally got to a point that we just couldn't make things work out… and neither of us could take it anymore. So when he was offered a job in South America… he took it."

"So he just left you and Shippo behind and ran off?" said Inuyasha angrily. "And you haven't been in contact since?"

Kagome gave him a sad smile. "No. See… my dad gave him a choice. Money… or me and Shippo… he took the money. That was when Shippo was just 4 months old."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment. What kind of jerk would run off and leave his family behind? If this Hobo… Hojo didn't want a family… he shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. What ever happened to 'Till Death Do Us Part?'

"But you're alright now?" he asked trying to sound unconcerned.

Kagome nodded. "It was really hard at first. But thankfully I have a wonderful family and they stuck by me all the way."

Once she was finished with the dishes, she began to put them away; but what she didn't notice was that there was some water spilled on the floor. As she put up the last of the dishes, she slipped in the spilled water.

She closed her eyes, waiting her body to collide with the floor… it didn't come… instead she collided with two strong arms. She looked up and saw that it was Inuyasha. Kagome got up slowly with Inuyasha's arms still holding her.

"Thank you Inuyasha," Kagome said as she looked into his eyes.

Golden eyes met warm brown ones as they just stared into each other's faces. Inuyasha was leaning closer… he could feel Kagome's breath; and without her noticing, Kagome was also leaning closer, her face inches away from Inuyasha.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said in a deep, yet husky voice.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Suddenly the door opened and two small figures came in.

"Papa, what are you doin here?" asked Shiori in surprise. Shiori and Shippo came in holding the now empty Ramen bowls; they looked at them in confusion.

Inuyasha and Kagome pulled apart instantly, both trying very hard to control their blushes. Kagome was the first to speak; she looked at the kids and smiled although her cheeks were tinged pink of what almost happened.

"You two are done already?" Kagome said as she took their bowls and being careful not to fall again in the wet floor, set them in the sink. Inuyasha went over to his daughter and said that he just wanted to see his little girl again. He then asked if she would like to walk him to his car. He looked at Kagome, and began blushing again.

"I'll see you later, Kagome," and the two of them went out the back.

"Yeah, see you later Inuyasha" Kagome said almost dreamily.

As soon as they had left Kagome brought her finger to her lip. "Mommy?" asked Shippo making her jump. She had forgotten that he was here, "Yes, Shippo?"

Shippo looked at her with a strange look in his eyes. "What were you two doing?" Kagome felt herself blush red again. "Nothing, sweetheart. The floor got wet and I slipped, that's all," she said as she began to clean up the mess on the floor. For some reason, Shippo looked a little disappointed.

_*Parking lot*_

"Daddy?" Shiori said as she walked out to the parking lot with her father, Inuyasha glanced at her, "What is it runt?"

"What were you and Ms. Kagome doing?" she asked innocently. Inuyasha could feel the blush come back to his face, of course he tried to brush it off by saying, "Nothing, she spilled some water and slipped that's all. Nothing happened."

He couldn't help but notice that Shiori looked a little disappointed.

(What do you think?)


	5. Unannounced Visitor

**Chapter 5: Unannounced Visitor**

_'I wonder how his lips would feel,'_ Kagome was thinking to herself as she waved off the students at the end of the day. Just as she was saying goodbye to Mayu and Satoru, Kagome heard someone call out to her.

Kagome turned around and saw that it was Koga. _'Oh, great,'_ she thought with a sigh. It wasn't as if she hated Koga or anything, but Koga had always had a crush on her and he was very persistent. Koga was a wolf demon, (And in case it wasn't clear, this is a world where humans and demons live together) and a very annoying wolf demon at that. Every day, when he would pick up or drop off his son, he would say give Kagome some kind of flattery and she would blush for no reason.

_'I wonder why I can't fall for him? I mean, he's handsome, and friendly, and I know that he treats every woman he sees with respect. And every time I see him, he gives me words of undying love and loyalty… so why can I…'_

"Kagome?" Koga said as he approached her, "Kagome do you want to go get something to eat after work?" He put on one of his best smiles.

"Koga, You don't know when to give up do you?" Kagome sighed.

"No, I just don't like to give up. There's a difference." Koga grinned at her, "You know I will never give up on you, Kagome." He took one of her hands and held it in his own before continuing, "So about my offer…"

Kagome was about to politely refuse his offer when little Bunza came over. "Daddy! There you are! Are we going home now? Look at what I made today!" thankfully, Koga turned his attention over to Bunza, which meant that Kagome could go and dismiss all the other kids inside the building. She politely excused herself and left; of course what she didn't notice was that there were a two pairs of eyes that were watching her leave.

_*Shippo and Shiori*_

After watching her leave, Shippo and Shiori went back to work playing in the sand.

"Does Bunza's daddy really like your mommy?" asked Shiori as they began to dig a moat around their castle.

"I think so," said Shippo. "I know that mommy likes him as a friend, but she doesn't LIKE like him though."

"Why?" she asked curious.

Shippo shrugged. "I like Bunza and his daddy ok… I mean… they're both really nice… but…"

"But?"

"But I'm not sure that he's right for mommy." He stopped digging for a minute and he had turned gloomy again.

"What's wrong?" asked Shiori worriedly.

"It's just that…" began Shippo timidly. "I want a new daddy. And I know that mommy wants to marry again… and I know that she must be really unhappy about being single… but… I don't want just anyone to be my new daddy. You know?"

Shiori nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. I wish I had a new mommy, and I want daddy to be happy. But I don't want just anyone to come in and be mommy."

They both let out identical sighs. "What to do?"

_*Inside the school*_

"Kagome there is a call for you in the lobby," said one of the newest teachers, Hitomiko.

"Really?" said Kagome in surprise. "Okay, thank you Hitomiko." Kagome replied and headed towards the lobby.

But before she could take another step, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned… and it was Koga who, for some reason, had on a grin from ear to ear.

"What are you grinning at Koga?" Kagome asked suspiciously

Koga took hold of one of her hands, and held them in between his own, "That finally, my beautiful Kagome has decided to go on a date with me."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Seriously can't this guy ever be serious for one moment?

"Koga, knock it off," she said slyly with raised eyebrows, "You know that it's never going to happen."

"Never is a long time Kagome." Koga gave her his best puppy face. "Please Kagome?" he asked serenely.

She rolled her eyes again and sighed "I'll think about it alright?"

"So is that a maybe?"

Kagome replied, fake smile plastered on her face, "It's not a maybe, but I'll definitely think about it."

Koga mocked a salute at Kagome, "Yes ma'am, I'll be waiting for your answer," and he then turned and left the building.

"Finally," Kagome sighed. _'I was starting to think that he wasn't going to leave unless I agreed to go out with him.'_

Kagome turned to head towards the lobby, before she realized that she had forgotten why she was going there in the first place. She had to think for several minutes to remember that Hitomiko said that there was someone waiting for her and she smacked her forehead with 'duh'.

Glad that she remembered, she walked in and looked around the large room.

_'Wonder who could be looking for me?'_ she thought. Was it one of the teachers? A parent? A student? Or perhaps…

"Hello Kagome. It's been a long time hasn't it?"

Kagome froze in mid-step, her face becoming pale as a sheet at who she saw leaning up against the side of the wall.

"Hojo?" Kagome said in disbelief.

Hojo gave her a small smile and said, "It's been a while hasn't it Kagome?"

(I know that this hasn't been one of my longest chapters, but the plot thickens! Hojo has returned, what does he want? Will he try to come in between Kagome and Inuyasha? Find out! And thank you one and all for all your reviews! They have been a great help!)


	6. The Past Returns

**Chapter 6: The Past Returns**

Kagome froze in mid-step, her face becoming pale as a sheet at who she saw leaning up against the side of the wall.

"Hojo?" Kagome said in disbelief.

Hojo gave her a small smile and said, "It's been a while hasn't it Kagome?"

Kagome couldn't believe it, her ex-husband Hojo, the one that had left her and Shippo nearly 6 years ago. The one who just got up and and abandoned them… Kagome swallowed hard glared at the man who had just cast her and her son aside, as if they were nothing.

Hojo was the first to speak, "It's good to see you again."

His voice was just as calm and childish as Kagome remembered it, with a hint of naivety that always made him sound a bit like an idiot. His face, that once held as much innocence as an infant had grown harsh and cold; while his short brown hair had grown slightly. His eyes were so much colder than the last time they had said goodbye. Of course, the last time that they said goodbye was over a phone in an angry voice.

"I see you haven't changed much Hojo." Kagome said with ice in her voice.

Hojo looked her up and down, "You have."

Hojo looked around, not surprised that his ex-wife had actually done what she had been saying since they were married. She wanted to run a school because she loved children and that they make her happy. Hojo shuddered. He never actually liked children.

"What do you want Hojo?"

Hojo looked at her and sighed, "Come on, Kagome. It's been almost 6 years since I left. What makes you think that I want something?"

"Because I'm not a complete moron," said Kagome harshly.

"Kagome," he said shaking his head. "I just wanted to see you while I was in town."

"Hojo," Kagome growled, "What do you want?"

Hojo let out another sigh, and put his hands in his pockets as he walked over towards her. "Since we haven't talked for over 5 years, I thought I should update you on a small problem that I have. As you know, after you took Shippo, I took the job in South America. But you see, I recently lost that job."

"So what does that have to do with us?" said Kagome, folding her arms.

"Well," said Hojo in a calm, cool voice. "I just got information that if I had Shippo back with me, that I could get Child Support since I am the biological father. All you need to do is hand over Shippo and I'll be on my way."

Kagome stared at him as if he had grown a third eye and gills. "Are you insane? You think that I'll just hand Shippo over to you, Hojo, just because you want some money? Over my dead body!"

"Kagome, he's my son too," began Hojo. "And I think that a son should get to know his own father."

"I don't care who you are!" yelled Kagome. "Look, you were given the choice! To take money or to stay with me and Shippo and you took the money! You weren't supposed to ever come back and bother us again!"

"Well that was then and this is now," was Hojo's simple answer. "Things have changed."

"Nothing's changed," said Kagome. "You made your choice and you can't change your mind years later. You know? Me and Shippo were doing just fine untill today. Me and Shippo aren't pets that you just lock up in a cage until you're ready to let us out! Our lives are going on just fine without you. Shippo isn't supposed to be there for you just because you need the money! You are supposed to be there for him and help him to grow up right!"

"You leave me alone! You think I wanted this? It just happened! When the twins were born, I was scared! I didn't know what to do! I wasn't ready to become a father."

Kagome winced at the word twins. "Shut up! Just shut up alright? Because I've been there! But let me tell you… I didn't run out on my son. I've been there every day for him. Every time that he needed me… I was there to help him. You know why? Because that's what a parent does."

"FINE KAGOME!" yelled Hojo waving his arms over his head. "Fine, you win! You're a better parent than I will ever be! Happy now?"

Kagome just turned and walked around the room, trying hard not to smack Hojo. "Now," said Hojo after a few uncomfortable minutes, "Are you going to hand over Shippo or not?"

"What do you think?" said Kagome, her voice full of anger. "I'm not letting my son anywhere near you. Heck, you don't even know what he looks like do you? You'll never have him as long as I'm alive."

Hojo's voice had a deadly tint to it, "You will regret this, Kagome." And without another word, he turned and left through the back door. Leaving Kagome standing there, fuming and fighting tears.

"Kagome?" said a quiet voice from behind her. Kagome turned slowly to see Sango standing there with wide eyes. "Kagome are you alright?"

Kagome turned her head from Sango so that she couldn't see the tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You know what? I'm glad he came here. Because I've wanted to say that stuff for nearly 6 years."

"Kagome, it's alright to be upset."

"Upset? Upset? Why should I be upset? Just because the man who just walked out on me and left me to take care of a 4 month old infant on my own came back only wanting my son just could get money? I just wish I said all that stuff back when he left." Tears were now falling fast down her face.

"I'm sorry Kagome, I mean… if there's something that I could do… if you want to talk about this…"

"What do you want me to talk about?" asked Kagome, fighting to hold back her sobs. "How bad if felt for me to see him walk out as if I meant nothing to him? To be alone for all this time? Because I'm doing just fine right now without him!"

Sango walked over and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "It's going to be alright, Kagome."

Kagome sniffed, "You know what? You're right. You don't have to worry. I'm going to be fine. I mean… it's not like… like when he left and I sat up night after night, crying. You know what I mean? Who needs him? He wasn't there to help me raise Shippo; I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do it on my own, but I think that I'm doing alright."

"You certainly are. Shippo is a sweet boy, and he's going to grow up to be a fine young man."

"I was there when he first began to set up, when he first started crawling, then when he began walking, and when he said his first word. Which was Momma. I've gotten through 5 wonderful birthdays with Shippo, and Hojo didn't even send a card or gave a phone call. I didn't need him then, and I don't need him now or ever."

"Kagome?"

"No, you know what Sango? I'm going to be there for Shippo every day of his life. If he needs help, then I'm going to be there for him. I'm going to make sure that he grows up right. I'm going to make sure that he gets through kindergarten, high school, and I'm going to make sure that he goes to a good college. I'm going to make sure that he doesn't grow up to become like his father. I'm going to make sure that he grows up the right way."

She let out a soft cry as she began to sob into Sango's shoulder. Sango guessed that Kagome had been wanting to say all that stuff for years.

"Is it so wrong for me wanting to share my life with someone who loves me?" said Kagome. "I mean… do you think that I wanted things to turn out this way? To have a husband leave me like it was the easiest thing in the world? Who would want that?"

"No one. And I don't want you to spend your life waiting for him," said Sango seriously. "He's not worth it. I want you to find someone who will make you happy for the rest of your life. That is what you and Shippo both deserve. And to share your life with someone who loves you? What are the rest of us? Strangers? You have people who love you and will always love you, Kagome."

Kagome raised her head to look into Sango's eyes. "You mean that?"

Sango gave her a smile and a gentle squeeze. "Every word. Come on… let's go and say goodbye to rest of the students. That should cheer you up."

Kagome put on a brave face and went with Sango, who had wrapped her arm around her shoulders while Kagome wiped her face on her sleeve. Kagome put on a forced smile as they headed out the door, and began to wave towards the few remaining students who smiled and waved back at her. By the time that almost all the students had left though, Kagome had noticed that Sango seemed to be fighting with herself about something.

"What's wrong Sango?" she asked.

Sango had looked up startled, before looking guilty. "Kagome?" she said hesitantly, "What did Hojo mean… when he said twins?"

Kagome stiffened. She put her head down, "How much did you hear?"

"Pretty much everything," said Sango apologetically. "It was kinda hard not to overhear it."

Kagome shook her head with a bitter smile and took a few deep breaths. She wiped her tears angrily, before saying, "Sorry about that."

Sango tightened the arm around her shoulders before asking, "So… what did he mean by twins?"

Tears began to flow again, but out of sadness, not anger. "It's because… I had a daughter… Shippo's twin sister…"

Sango's jaw dropped. "Shippo has a sister?" cried Sango in astonishment.

"He did… my little girl she… she died in childbirth. Shippo was born first… and then my daughter… but she…"

"Oh Kagome," said Sango as she gave her another tight hug. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

As she held Kagome, a small someone had come running over from the sandbox, towards the two women.

"Mommy?" said Shippo worriedly. "Mommy? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"


	7. Feel Better?

**Chapter 7: Feel Better?**

Shippo had come running over to them with a panicked look on his face. "Mommy? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Kagome quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and put on another forced smile, "I'm fine Shippo. I'm just really tired."

"Tired? You cry when you're tired?" asked Shippo, still looking scared.

Kagome bent down to his level and spoke in a gentle voice, "I've just been under a lot of pressure today. That's all."

"Kagome?" said Sango. "You don't look well. How about you and Shippo go home a little early?"

Kagome looked back up at Sango in surprise, "You sure Sango?"

Sango nodded. "I don't mind at all. Besides there's only a few more kids left here anyway. I think I can handle them. But I'll tell you what…" she suddenly got a big grin. "Why don't you and Shippo come over to my place for dinner tonight?"

"Over for dinner?" repeated Kagome.

"Yeah! My kids have been dying to play with Shippo for a long time; they could play while you and me talk. Besides, I think that Miroku would be happy to see you both again."

"Oh, can we mommy?" begged Shippo. "I haven't seen Keiko, Sakura, and Kyo for so long! Can we? Huh? Can we?"

"Well… I…" she looked at her son's hopeful face and back towards Sango's caring one. She sighed in defeat, "Alright. I think I could use a night off of cooking anyway."

"Yea!" cried out Shippo happily.

"What's going on?" asked a sweet voice. Shiori had come up from right behind Shippo and was looking up at everyone in curiosity; Kagome saw that she was hiding something from behind her back. "Ms. Kagome? Are you alright? Why were you crying?"

"I'm fine," said Kagome though sounding a lot more cheerful than before. "Really, Shiori, I'm just very tired. So I'm just going to take Shippo home early alright?"

Shiori just blushed and nodded. Kagome quirked her eyebrow in a question manner, "What is it Shiori?"

"I… I just…" stammered Shiori as she continued to blush.

"It's ok," said Shippo encouragingly. "Just give them to her."

"Give me wha… oh!" gasped Kagome. Shiori held out a small bouquet of wildflowers.

"You looked so sad," said Shiori embarrassed, "And I thought that these would cheer you up… do they?" she looked up at Kagome with hopeful eyes.

Kagome was so touched that she thought that she would start to cry again. She took the small bouquet and said, "They are gorgeous. I love them." she took a deep breath and smelled their sweet aroma. "You know… I feel better now than I have been in a long time."

Shiori grinned as Kagome stood up. "Thank you Shiori. I'll remember this. Please have a good weekend; and I'll see you on Monday." She turned to Sango and said, "We'll be seeing you later tonight. We'll… we'll talk some more then." Once Sango had nodded, Kagome turned to Shippo, "Shippo? Let's go."

Shippo gave Shiori a quick hug before he accompanied his mother to the parking lot. But before they left, Kagome turned and said, "Shiori? Please tell your father to have a good weekend also."

Shiori and Sango both looked surprise at the request. "Sure thing, Ms. Kagome," answered Shiori cheerfully as she began to wave. Both mother and son waved back before they started to head to their car.

Once they were out of sight, Sango bent down to Shiori, "You know Shiori… that was a really nice thing you did."

Shiori looked up at Sango and asked, "Do you think that it made Ms. Kagome feel better?"

"Oh, I think it did. You really made her happy," answered Sango. "Look your father should be coming any minute. Why don't you go and get your stuff? I'll wait here with you."

"Ok!" cried Shiori and ran towards the building.

_'Why does that smile remind me so much of Kagome's?'_ thought Sango as she watched Shiori's retreating back.

"Mommy?" asked Shippo. "Why did you want to Shiori to tell her daddy to have a good weekend?"

"Oh," said Kagome quickly. "No reason, just being polite."

"Sure, right," said Shippo as if he knew something that she didn't.

_*A few minutes later*_

"Shiori!" called out Inuyasha as he headed up to the front gates.

"Over here daddy!" cried out Shiori as she ran up and jumped into his arms. After the hug she leaned back and gave her daddy a crossed look. "What took you so long? You're never this later."

Inuyasha let her jump down, "Sorry runt, but traffic was an absolute nightmare." He looked around.

"What is it daddy?" asked Shiori.

"What? Oh, nothing. I was just wondering where Kagome is. Is she inside?" asked Inuyasha.

"No," said another voice. Inuyasha jumped, he didn't see Sango standing there. "I'm afraid that Kagome wasn't feeling well, so she and Shippo both left a little earlier. In fact, you just missed them."

"Not feeling well?" echoed Inuyasha in concern. "Is she alright?"

Sango shrugged, "I don't think that it's anything serious; she just seemed tired. I'm having her and Shippo over at my place for dinner tonight so I'll keep an eye on her." With a slight nod, she turned to go back into the school; but then she paused quickly as if she just remembered something. "Oh, by the way," she added as she turned her head back towards him. "Kagome said that she hopes you and Shiori have a good weekend." She glanced at Shiori and said, "Take care Shiori. See you next week." And with that, she left.

_'Have a good weekend?'_ thought Inuyasha.

"Daddy?" said Shiori worriedly when she saw that her father hadn't moved for almost a minute. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," said Inuyasha in an almost in a dream-like state. He frowned and bent down to eye level with Shiori to ask, "Shiori? Did Ms. Kagome look like she was sick?"

Shiori shrugged, "I don't know. But me and Shippo saw that she was crying. But I gave her some flowers to make her feel better, and she smiled and said that she was feeling better than she had in a long time. She really liked my flowers!" she said proudly.

_'She was crying?'_ thought Inuyasha worried. '_Why was she crying?'_

"Daddy?" asked Shiori again when she saw that he had frozen again.

Inuyasha grinned. "That was really nice of you Shiori. Well, what do you say that we go home now?" When she took her father's hand, they walked over to where the car was parked. While Inuyasha strapped her in he asked, "Did Kagome really say to have a good weekend?"

"Hmn, yeah," said Shiori. "She said that she hopes that you have a good weekend. And then she left. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just making sure," answered Inuyasha.

"Really?" asked Shiori as if she knew something that he didn't.

"Yes, really," said Inuyasha a little more forcefully this time. "I was just making sure that she didn't say something different. It's not like I care or nothing."

Of course, he could hear his heart disagreed.


	8. Kagome's Past, and Shippo's Sister

**Chapter 8: Kagome's Past, and Shippo's Sister**

That evening, Kagome pulled up in front of Sango's house. As soon as she got out of the car, she heard two little voices call out, "Aunt Kagome! Shippo!"

Kagome looked to see pair of young girls, with dark hair and brown eyes, running towards her with big smiles on their faces. "Keiko! Sakura!" yelled out Kagome as she helped Shippo out of his car seat. She loved Sango's children… they were all so sweet/and tough as nails like their mother. Kagome had always thought of Sango, Mirkou, and their children as family; their girls had even insisted on calling her aunt, even though they weren't related. (sidenote: Keiko had recently turned 8 and Sakura was 7).

Once Shippo was out of the car he ran forward to give both girls a hug. "Long time, no see!" he said as they began to squeeze him within an inch of his life.

"Girls? Let Shippo breathe. We wouldn't want him to suffocate before dinner."

A man with a low ponytail, dressed in a purple shirt and jeans came walking out; carrying a small baby boy in his arms. "Kagome!" called out Miroku. "It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too Miroku," said Kagome as she walked forward to give him a hug, "And of course, Kyo too." The baby merely gurgled; sucking on his tiny hand. "Come on in," said Miroku as he lead the way up to the house. "Sango has wanted to talk with you ever since she got home."

Kagome had been afraid of that, "What about?" she asked trying to sound unconcerned. Miroku just shrugged as he headed up the front steps. "Don't know, but she sure seemed worried about you. Come on kids!" he called out. "Let's all go in now!"

"Ah, dad," said Sakura.

"Do we have to?" asked Keiko unhappily.

"Oh, they can play out here for a little while," said Sango who had appeared in the doorway. "Dinner isn't ready yet." The kids all yelled out a YEA and started to play tag. While they played, Sango looked at Kagome with a serious look before turning to her husband, "Me and Kagome need to go and talk. Miroku? Think you can finish getting dinner ready?"

Miroku raised his eyebrows, "Sure no problem. But… ah… what's wrong?" He looked from Sango to Kagome and back again.

Sango simply walked out and handed him a dishrag, "Just some girl talk."

Miroku walked back inside, muttering something that sounded like, _"Women."_

Sango shook her head. "He may be an idiot," she said to Kagome as she put her arm around her shoulders and began to walk a little ways away from the house, "But he's **my** idiot."

Kagome smiled, "I'm glad to see you both getting along so well."

"Well we have our ups and downs," said Sango. "But don't all couples? Come on, let's go over here." she lead Kagome over to a large tree in the middle of the front lawn, to were a small stone bench sat in the shade. The two women sat down and watched the children play for a short time.

Sango looked at Kagome, who in turn was watching Shippo.

"My daughter would have been that age too." Kagome whispered, still staring at her son running around with the girls.

"Why didn't you ever tell me that you had twins?" Sango asked.

To this Kagome gulped; because she knew when Sango was like this there is no way of getting out of explaining. She was silent for a moment, "Sango, you're my best friend, you know that right?"

Sango nodded, clearly not understanding what that had to do with Kagome's problem.

Kagome looked down at her feet as she began to explain her story.

"Years ago, when I started going out with Hojo, back when he was a kind and caring person. I was happy with him; I was happy how my life was going. What I didn't know was that it would change dramatically…"

She let out another sad sigh, "One day, I was so exhausted after I got out of school that Hojo decided to take me out to go to bar to cheer me up," Kagome continued.

"To a bar?" Sango asked, surprised that her friend would go to a bar. _'Going to a bar is cheering Kagome up?' _she thought.

"Well I didn't know that we were going to a bar," said Kagome a little defensively. "Hojo said that it was going to be a surprise."

"Well I guess it must have been when he took you inside a bar," said Sango.

Kagome shrugged. "I told him to just take me home. That I didn't want to go inside. But he said that it was just for a few minutes and then we would go."

"So, what exactly where you doing in a bar?" asked Sango curiously.

"What do you think?" Kagome laughed bitterly. "Drinking, of course." Kagome shook her head. "He gave me a small drink that he said wasn't alcoholic. And I still can't believe that **I** believed him."

"Why, that jerk," said Sango.

"Anyways, like I was saying, after he gave me that small drink… he bought me another… and then another… and after a few drinks, I realized that I was drunk. I was so out of it that I was starting to see double. I remember demanding Hojo to take me home. But he was so drunk that instead he took us to a hotel. I don't really remember much after that. I **do** remember bumping into some guy and his girlfriend in the lobby. Hojo left to go use the bathroom and I headed to our room and I fell asleep instantly. It was about midnight and I heard someone enter my room, it was so dark that I couldn't see his face, but had to have been Hojo. He moved towards me…"

"Did you push him away?" Sango intervened.

Kagome shook her head and looked up at Sango.

"No."

"No?"

Kagome nodded and continued.

"I felt him come near me, and instinctively leaned into his touch. He placed a finger on my lips to stop me from saying anything, I didn't mind, probably because I was too drunk to even care. He leaned forward and kissed me gently." Kagome touched her lip, still vividly remembering how warm it felt.

"I remember him groan when I willingly opened my mouth to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. After that… well… I think you know what happens." Kagome finished.

Sango looked confused at first, but then it clicked. Blushing she nodded to her friends direction, "Why didn't you push Hojo away?" She asked.

"I don't know… I felt that I could trust him… I felt safe that night…" said Kagome. "But I was so drunk… I don't really remember all that much." she sighed. "It was about two weeks later that I found out that I was pregnant."

"Kagome," Sango placed her hand on top of hers and squeezed it.

"Hojo was upset, at first I didn't understand why… but I should've known that he was angry that I was having a baby. When I told my father about it, he wasn't angry at me… but at Hojo when I told him what happened. My father took me to the hospital to have an ultrasound and I found out that I was going to have twins! Hojo demanded that we get an abortion, but I wouldn't dream of it. What I was surprised at was that my father was on my side. He said that the babies shouldn't suffer because of what my idiot boyfriend did."

"I always did like you dad," said Sango.

"Yeah, he's the best," said Kagome with a smile. "Anyway, nine months passed by quickly and was overjoyed that I was going to have my babies at last. About 2 days before the due date, I started to have contractions and I was ready to give birth. You can imagine how much it hurt; it felt like something was tearing inside of me. I needed to get to the hospital fast, but it hurt too much. My father was at work and my brother had gone out with Hitomi, so I was alone. Hojo had come over and found me on the ground; and I begged him call an ambulance. So he called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital. I remember given birth to what turned out to be my son. But before my second baby came out… I… couldn't take the pain anymore. Hojo was friends with one of the doctors and asked him to give me something. I don't know what it was, but it made me dizzy. And… I blacked out.

When I woke up a few hours later I could hear my son crying in my father's arms, next to me. My father said that he arrived in time to hear that I had already given birth to Shippo, and rushed in to help in whatever that he could. He was told to take my son while they tried to get my daughter. I was so happy to see him there; and even happier to see my healthy son. I asked him where my little girl was. He didn't look at him. I was starting to worry and asked again. What I heard killed me inside. My daughter was born dead."

Sango gasped as she put her arms around Kagome in another hug.

"I married Hojo soon after that," said Kagome. "I wanted Shippo to grow up with his father. And I thought that seeing our child… that would make Hojo want him now… but… he changed… I don't know how… but he wasn't the same anymore. We divorced 4 months later. I still mourn for my dead daughter, but Shippo has brought so much joy to my life."

Kagome began whimpering silently, Sango tightened her hug, and Kagome hugged her back. Relaxing her of the trauma that she had faced a long time ago

"Does Shippo know about this?" Sango asked. "Does he know that he had a sister?"

Kagome nodded. "He knows that he had a twin who didn't make it. He cried for his dead sister for a long time. But I think that he's still too young to understand just yet."

"So it's just been you and Shippo on your own ever since?" asked Sango a little angrily.

Kagome shook her head, "Not completely. My father has been by our side ever since Hojo left. No matter what, he's always there when I need him. That was the kind of father that I wanted Shippo to have."

"And someday that'll happen," said Sango with certainty. "He'll be the right father for Shippo, and the right husband for you."

Kagome looked up sadly, "What makes you so sure that I'll find him?"

Sango took her hand and held it again, "Because I believe that there is a person born out there for everyone. The important thing is to keep waiting and looking until you find them. And don't settle for anything less."

"But how will I know when the right one comes along?" asked Kagome a little hopelessly.

"You will know," said Sango. "After all, you've already met him."

Kagome's head whipped around to stare at her. "What are you talking about?"

Sango smiled, "It's something I learned from a fairy tale. You've met him once upon a dream."

"Sango," said Kagome shaking her head exasperatedly. "This is real life, not sleeping beauty."

Sango just shrugged, "I don't know. I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"

Kagome was at a loss of words.

"Besides," went on Sango. "It's like my mother once said to me… _'If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future.' _And you know? I believe in that. Life is like a fairy tale. You'll know your 'Prince' when he comes along. After all, you both danced together before. And when you do meet… he'll love you… they way he did once upon a dream."

"You're so poetic," said Kagome.

Sango laughed, "I blame it on my brother. Kohaku was always a tender-hearted boy, so I guess that it rubbed off on me. My point is… life is like in a fairy tale; and like a fairy tale, you need to save your last dance."

"Last dance?" repeated Kagome confused.

"Yeah," said Sango. "See… in most fairy tales, there is a ballroom dance scene, right? Well, imagine that our lives are like a giant masquerade ball. The party begins when you're born, and it ends when you die. Your whole life, everything and everyone is dancing around you; sometimes it's too much to bear. Everyone is wearing masks; you don't know who they are or what someone is like unless you start to dance with them. Once you do, you learn things about them and about yourself. During the whole ball, you dance with different people, and once your dance with them is over, you start dancing with someone else. And you continue to dance, until you find that one special dance partner. Once you find that person, you dance with that person for the rest of the night."

"I see," said Kagome understanding what she was saying. "So, it's not the first dance partner that matters, but the last one."

"Exactly," said Sango as she stood up. "Right now, you're standing on the sides and watching everyone dance. But I have a feeling that one of them will come up and ask you to dance soon."

She offered Kagome her hand, "Come on," she said. "Miroku must be finished cooking by now."

Kagome looked at the hand for a minute before, smiling slightly, taking it and beginning to walk up to the house. "Kids?" called Sango. "Dinner!"

As Shippo and the girls came running up, Kagome looked sideways at Sango and asked, "So… is your last dance with Miroku?"

Sango grinned. "I plan on dancing with him until the party is over. Always remember… the last dance is always the most beautiful and magical one. So save your last dance with someone special."

"Yes," said Kagome as they walked into the house. "I remember that."

_*After dinner*_

Everyone had a great time, and dinner was delicious. Not long after that, Kagome and Shippo had left the house and drove home. Shippo was so tired out that he had fallen asleep in the back seat. Kagome carried him into the house, changed him into his pajamas, and tucked him into bed. As she tucked the blankets around him, she watched his sleeping face for a long time.

"Don't worry," she said quietly. "I won't let Hojo take you away from me." She bent down and kissed his forhead.

That night, when she went into sleep, she dreamt of a masquerade ball. She was dressed in a long, silver dress and was wearing a simple mask. She was standing on the sides while everyone else danced.

She watched as the dancers spin around her in a frenzy of colors, bodies, and noise. As she watched, someone had appeared besides her so suddenly that it was like he had appeared out of thin air. He was dressed in a fine suit and a plain, white mask; he held out his hand to her in a silent gesture of asking to dance. She blinked in surprise at the stranger's hand; Kagome then smiled as she felt her hand intertwine with his own, and started to dance.

She couldn't see his face… except for a pair of golden eyes staring out from behind the mask.


	9. Inuyasha's Past and a Car Accident

**Chapter 9: Inuyasha's Past and a Car Accident **

It was Sunday evening and Inuyasha was relaxing on his bed after he was finally able to put Shiori to bed. Exhausted he laid down, and he listened to the rhythmic, ticking of the clock that lulled him to sleep.

He had a disturbing dream:

Inuyasha had opened the door, a smile on his face as he came home. He called out to Kikyo, but he didn't get any response. He did hear a sound though; it was a baby's crying. It had to be Shiori, and he headed towards Shiori's nursery. He called out for Kikyo again; but still no answer from his wife.

He opened the door to the nursery expecting to see Kikyo tending to their daughter. But instead he found Shiori just about to fall of her crib. (The side of the crib had been left open.)

Inuyasha rushed over and caught her just as she was about to go over the side. He held the crying infant in his arms and cooed her until the baby's cries died down and were replaced with gurgling. Where the hell was Kikyo? He roamed the room hoping that Kikyo was in the bathroom. She wasn't there. He placed Shiori back into her crib once she had calmed down and she had started to doze off; Inuyasha headed towards the master bedroom, hoping that Kikyo was there. He was beyond annoyed with her now and, with one swift twist of the door knob he opened the door.

What he saw froze his heart. Kikyo was lying on the floor of the room… she wasn't moving.

"Kikyo!" he yelled as he ran forward and raised her head. "Kikyo? Kikyo?" She didn't answer… she wasn't breathing. Inuyasha practically flew downstairs and had called for an ambulance; but he knew that it was too late. When the paramedics arrived, they told him that his wife had dead from a heart attack…

Inuyasha's temper rose to such an idiotic statement. He yelled at big and fat the paramedic. "Why would she have a heart attack? How did this happen?" The paramedic told him to calm down, and Inuyasha did; but not because the paramedic told him to.

It was because he had heard Shiori crying again.

He snapped at the men to leave his house as he went upstairs to Shiori's room. He picked her up to hold his daughter close to his heart, and whispered to her, "It's just you and me now runt."

_"Kikyo…"_

Inuyasha jerked awake, sweat all over his body. He had had that dream many times in the pass five, almost six years. He stretched, knowing that there was no way that he was going back to sleep, even if he tried. He sighed and looked at the clock that read 6:30 am.

"6:30 already?" He sighed again and headed towards the bathroom. After a quick bath it was time to make breakfast; he went downstairs and looked at the clock in the kitchen that now read 7:06.

_'Time for Shiori to wake up,' _he thought as he began to lay the plates down on the table and yelling for Shiori to come down to breakfast. After a few minutes, Shiori emerged, yawing. She said a good morning before sitting down at the table and rubbing her red eyes.

"Today's special is eggs," Inuyasha placed the waffles on Shiori's dish then on his. Shiori grinned and began to wolf down her eggs. Once they had finished, Inuyasha glanced at the clock; it was 7:35 already. It was almost time for Shiori to get ready to go to school and he had to get ready for work.

"Alright runt, time to get dressed," he said picking up the dishes, and began to wash them. After he had finished, he headed towards Shiori's bedroom to help her get dressed. Once he reached her room he grabbed a hanger that had a set of overalls on them and told her to put them on. She nodded and began to unbuckled the straps herself.

"Soon you won't need me to dress you anymore, huh runt?" Inuyasha said with a mock hurt voice.

Shiori shook her head and chirped happily, "Nope, I'm a big girl!"

"Alright now that you're dressed, I have to go get ready. So you go and get everything that you'll need for school today."

Shiori nodded and went to get her backpack and her stuff animal. (A little white cat with two tails and red eyes)

Once they were both ready, Inuyasha and Shiori headed out, knowing that a long day awaited them.

_*A few minutes later*_

Inuyasha arrived at the school, and to his surprise, Kagome wasn't at the front gate greeting the children that were arriving like she always did. He got out and went to the other side of the car to unbuckled Shiori's belt. He went to the new woman at the gate; she smiled at him and said a good morning.

"Good morning sir" she said in a cheerful voice. "My name is Midoriko."

"Good morning," Inuyasha said not at all pleased that Kagome wasn't there to greet him and Shiori. "Where is Kagome?" he asked a little too hastily.

Midoriko shrugged, "Kagome's inside her office. She has so much work to do."

That answer was just not good enough for Inuyasha. He felt empty without Kagome's cheerful voice saying a good morning. He took Shiori by the hand and went into the building; he decided that he was getting his good morning no matter what. He arrived at Kagome's office, knocked once, and entered.

She was sitting at her desk and was busy filing out papers. Kagome glance up to see who had come in and was startled to see that it was Inuyasha and Shiori.

"Good morning Inuyasha," she said, clearly surprised. She looked at him for a moment before glancing down and smiling at Shiori. "Good morning Shiori."

Shiori said good morning and asked where Shippo was.

"Ah, I think that he's outside by the swing set," said Kagome. She then looked at Inuyasha and asked if he needed something.

"Umm, nothing I was just surprise that you weren't at the gate," he could feel a blush creeping to his face.

Kagome was taken back, that he came all this way, just for a good morning. Her heart suddenly started beating fast. She blushed and averted her gaze to Shiori, who turns out had left a while ago without any of the two noticing.

"Well Inuyasha it seems Shiori can't wait to play with Shippo again," Kagome said staring out of the open door.

"Yeah I guess so. She's been wanting to play with Shippo all weekend," he said his voice nervous all of a sudden. _'Why am I so nervous? It's only Kagome for goodness sake?'_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out.

Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts when he finally heard Kagome's voice.

"What is it Kagome?"

"I could be asking you that; this isn't the first time you spaced out like that," she said with a giggle. "Why is it that every time we're alone… you just space out?"

"I was just thinking…" said Inuyasha nervously. "That… if you aren't busy… you… if you wouldn't mind going for a cup of coffee sometime?" He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal

Kagome blushed and looked down on her lap, because she knew that if she looked up to see Inuyasha's handsome face, it would only and make her blush more.

"Sure," she whispered. "I would love to."

"Really? I mean that's good… I…" he stammered. Kagome looked up again and timidly smiled.

Inuyasha suddenly glanced at his watch, it read 8:35.

"Oh great, I'm late again!"

Kagome chuckled and told him he should be on his way. He nodded at her, but before he left he gave Shiori, who was outside playing a quick peck on the cheek.

"See you later runt."

"Bye papa," Shiori waved to her father heading out of the school and into his car. While he drove to the dojo, he was grinning from ear to ear.

_*Much later*_

Kagome glance at the clock on the wall and notice that it was pass the time Inuyasha usually picks up Shiori. '_I wonder what can be taking him so long,' _she thought to herself.

She glanced again to her watch; it was 3:30 already. He usually picks up Shiori at 3:00 sharp.

"Ms. Kagome," said a small voice. "Where is my daddy?" Shiori and Shippo had come over to her desk.

"Yeah, mommy," agreed Shippo. "He's never this late."

Kagome reassured them both that Inuyasha was just running late again and that he will be here to pick Shiori up soon. She said that he must have gotten stuck in traffic again. Shiori nodded believing Kagome's words and went back to playing with Shippo.

Minutes passed, then hours. Shiori was crying for her daddy to come and pick her up. Kagome was getting worried as well, wondering what could be keeping Inuyasha so long. The school closed at 5:00 and it was 5:45 already. She sighed and looked at Shiori who was sobbing quietly.

"Shiori…" Kagome began. But vefore Kagome could finish her sentence, she heard the phone ring. "Hold on," she said to Shiori. "That must be him now." She went over to where the phone was and picked it up.

"Hello… Kagome Higurashi speaking?" It wasn't Inuyasha on the other end; which had disappointed her.

_"Hello Ms. Higurashi? My name is Myoga. I'm calling on behalf of Inuyasha,"_ the person called Myoga said over the phone.

Kagome asked him if he knew where Inuyasha was and when he was coming to pick up Shiori.

Complete shock was all over Kagome's face of what she heard:

_"I'm afraid that Inuyasha has been in an car accident."_

_Oh, I can be so mean. But don't worry... Inuyasha won't die that easily. Thank you all so much for the reviews! They have all been so helpful for this story!_


	10. A Night at Kagome's

**Chapter 10: A Night at Kagome's**

"Hello… Kagome Higurashi speaking?" It wasn't Inuyasha on the other end; which had disappointed her.

_"Hello Ms. Higurashi? My name is Myoga. I'm calling on behalf of Inuyasha,"_ the person called Myoga said over the phone.

Kagome asked him if he knew where Inuyasha was and when he was coming to pick up Shiori.

Complete shock was all over Kagome's face of what she heard:

_"I'm afraid that Inuyasha has been in a car accident."_

Kagome felt as if a block of ice had dropped into her stomach. "Is he all right?" Kagome pleaded to Myoga on the other line.

_"He is unconscious and in the hospital right now… Ms. Kagome I'm afraid that everyone is worried and is too busy and cannot watch Shiori tonight. So if it's not too much trouble… do you think that you could take care of Shiori for a couple of days?"_ asked Myoga.

"No problem. I'll take care of Shiori," Kagome looked at Shiori and Shippo who had come over to her and were looking worried at the look on Kagome's face and what she was saying.

_'The problem now is telling Shiori that her father isn't going to be able to pick her up today,' _thought Kagome sadly.

"Myoga, right? Do you mind telling me which hospital that he's at?" asked Kagome as she got out a pen and piece of paper. Once she had gotten the name of the hospital, she gave Myoga her home number, so that he could call if there is any news on Inuyasha's condition. Once she had finished, Myoga began to thank her for taking care of Shiori.

"Thank you for calling me Myoga," she said trying to calm herself. "I assure you that I will take good care of Shiori."

Kagome hung up the phone after that.

"Mommy?" asked Shippo looking up at Kagome with a scared look. "What's wrong?"

"Ms. Kagome?" asked Shiori. "Where is my daddy? When is he coming?"

Kagome sighed. She took a deep breath and bent down low to look Shiori in the eye. "I'm afraid that you'll have to stay at my house for a couple of days," said Kagome as gently as she could.

Shiori's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked. "Where is my daddy?"

Kagome gently began to stroke Shiori's white hair. Kagome was debating whether to tell Shiori that her father was in the hospital, or to lie. She took a deep breath and decided that Shiori would find out sooner or later and said softly, "Shiori… you see… I'm afraid that… your father has been in a accident."

_'Inuyasha,' _she thought with a pang of the heart.

"Did my daddy get hurt, Ms. Kagome?" asked Shiori, who was beginning to cry.

"I'm afraid he did," said Kagome pulling her into a hug. "But I promise that he's going to be just fine." Shiori began to weep silently, nodding to what Kagome had said, but holding onto her like she was her lifeline.

Shippo was just standing there, staring at the two girls, with a stunned expression on his face. Kagome held out an arm and pulled him into the embrace as well. "I promise that Inuyasha is going to be just fine," she repeated. "Until then, Shiori? You're going to be staying with me and Shippo for awhile, alright?"

The two could only nod as Kagome took them both by the hands and led them outside to where her car was parked. _'Inuyasha please be alright,' _she silently pleaded. She buckled the two of them into the car and said, "Shiori… everything is going to work out just fine."

_*Kagome's house*_

"Welcome," said Kagome as she pulled the two children from her car and led them up to the house. It wasn't fancy; just a simple 2 floored, brick house with a front lawn full of wildflowers.

Shippo ran to the front door, looking a lot more cheerful than at the school, "Home sweet home," he said in relief. Shiori, who was still holding onto Kagome's hand, was looking around her. "It's so pretty," said Shiori, trying to sound polite. But Kagome could clearly hear the sadness in her voice.

She put her hand on Shiori's shoulder and said, "I already told you. Inuyasha's going to be just fine. Come on in…" Shiori sniffled and nodded as she allowed herself to be led into the house.

For the first few hours, Kagome and Shippo had been trying their hardest to cheer up Shiori… but she was so worried about her father that she just sat on the carpet in the living room and stared at the wall. "Shiori…?" began Shippo sadly.

Kagome put her hand on Shippo's arm, and shook her head. "Let me know if you need anything," she said softly. She then went into the kitchen and began to make dinner. (Which is Ramen!) Shippo on the other hand did everything he could to cheer her up. He made silly faces, told lame jokes, pulled out a few toys, and even did some magic tricks.

When he made a bunch of tiny toy mushrooms appear out of a hat, he had finally gotten Shiori to smile and laugh.

"YEA!" he cried. "Mommy!" he went running into the kitchen. "Mommy! I got Shiori to laugh!"

Kagome grinned. "You always were good at making people laugh," she said. At that moment, the phone began to ring, "Hold on," she said and went to get it. _'Please let it be some good news,'_ she thought. She picked up the phone, and it turned out to be Myoga again.

_"Ms. Kagome?"_ he said.

"Myoga?" she said before casting a look at her son. She made a gesture with her head, for him to go and take care of Shiori. Shippo nodded and went running back into the living room to perform some more magic.

"Myoga?" repeated Kagome, hoping that she didn't sound too desperate. "Is Inuyasha all right?"

_"He'll live," _said Myoga. _"He was in intensive care for a while, but they said that he'll make a full recovery."_

Relief washed over Kagome like waves when she heard that Inuyasha was going to be alright. "He was in intensive care? What exactly happened?" Kagome asked wanting to know everything.

_"He was in a bad car accident,"_ said Myoga. _"It seems that gang of demons were running amok and caused several cars to go out of control. One of them had ran and smashed into Inuyasha's side door. Inuyasha had suffered severe trauma from his left chest to his side, a broken leg, and broken almost all of his ribs. Luckily, he hadn't any internal bleeding, or punctured lungs. The doctors say that if he had been all human then there was no way that he could've survived the impact."_

"Oh," said Kagome. "I thought that he was a half-demon. Thank goodness, for that."

"Listen," went on Myoga. _"I thought I call to let Shiori know that her father is going to be just fine. You can all come and see him tomorrow."_

"Alright," said Kagome smiling at the thought. "Thank you for letting us know. Goodbye." She hung up after that and called the children into the kitchen.

"Shiori! Shippo!" she called. The two of them came running in, "What is it mommy?" asked Shippo looking worried.

Shiori was staring up at her, and Kagome knew that she was hoping for some good news.

"Listen," she said to her. "After school tomorrow, we can go and visit your daddy in the hospital."

Shiori's eyes lit up. "Daddy's ok?" she asked as if hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes, that was Myoga on the phone. And he said that Inuyasha's going to make a full recovery."

Shiori screamed in delight before flinging her arms around Kagome's neck and gave her a hug.

_*That evening*_

After she heard that her father was going to be ok, she had cheered up and had become her old sweet, and cheerful self again. She laughed and talked the whole time through dinner, had gone out and played with Shippo, and watched cartoons for the rest of the evening. And by the time that Kagome said it was time for bed, she was more than willing. Although, Kagome had noticed the sad look in her eyes when Shiori thought that no one was looking.

Kagome had given Shiori an extra large t-shirt to sleep in, and led her to the small spare bedroom. She told Shiori and Shippo a bedtime story called "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," tucked them into bed, and said goodnight to both of them.

Once they had been put to bed, Kagome decided to call it a night early. She had finished grading a few papers, washed the dishes, and gotten ready for bed. She turned out her light and had closed her eyes before falling into an uneasy sleep.

_*Near midnight*_

Kagome had suddenly awoken from her sleep. For a minute she couldn't understand what had caused her to wake up; that is until she heard her bedroom door creak open.

"Who is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Ms. Kagome?" said that innocent voice that she would know anywhere. "Shiori?" asked Kagome sitting up in bed. "What's wrong honey?"

Shiori had come over to the bed and climbed onto the blankets besides Kagome. Kagome had then noticed that she looked as if she had been crying. "Oh, Shiori," she said pulling the girl into a hug.

"Why?" asked Shiori through sobs. "Why did my daddy get hurt?"

Kagome rocked Shiori back and forth, trying to comfort her with gentle words. She knew how that felt… to want to know why something had happened to a parent. But Shiori had already lost her mother, and now she had been faced with the idea that she might lose her father as well. Kagome didn't blame her for one bit for crying.

"Don't worry Shiori, I'm here… I'm here for you now," she cooed to the little girl.

After a short while, Shiori's sobs had died down. Kagome looked down to see that Shiori had fallen asleep. Kagome didn't want to take her back to the her room and like this; so she lay her down right next to her and pulled the blankets up to her chin. She kissed her good night, and was about to go back to sleep when she heard another familiar voice ask.

"Mommy? Can I sleep with you? Please?" plead her son's voice.

Kagome turned to the open door and nodded, "Okay" she whispered. "Just don't wake Shiori."

Shippo, dressed in blue PJ's walked quietly into the room and climbed silently into the bed on his mother's other side. She sighed and pulled the blankets to the side and scooting to the center of the bed, with a child on either side of her. "Good night," she murmured and shut her eyes. She felt the two small figures snuggling closer to her and putting their little arms around Kagome. Smiling, Kagome put her arms around both of them… before letting sleep take over.


	11. Pancakes and Dresses

**Chapter 11: Pancakes and Dresses**

Kagome had opened her eyes the next morning, wondering what the warmth from either side of her was coming from. She looked and saw both Shippo and Shiori sleeping with their hands intertwine with her own. For a moment she wondered why they were in her bed and why Shiori was here at her house… and then yesterday's events came back.

"Inuyasha," she said softly as she felt tears beginning to threaten to come back to her eyes. No, she didn't need to cry; Inuyasha was going to be just fine… in fact they were going to visit him today. She looked over at her clock… it read 7:00 am.

Kagome sighed as she let go of the two children's hands and very carefully got out of bed. She was able to get up without waking Shippo and Shiori, which Kagome was thankful for because she wanted them both to keep having sweet dreams for a little longer, and she went into the small bathroom to get ready for the day.

When she walked out, fully dressed, she looked over at the bed and smiled as the two had both curled up, right next to each other in the center of the bed. Shippo was sucking on his thumb, and Shiori was curled up into a little ball like a cat. They both had such sweet, peaceful expressions that they were throwing 'cuteness' off the charts.

Kagome put on a sly smile as she quietly went over to the closet and pulled out a small camera. She winded it up, and turned off the flash, and quickly took a picture of the two sleeping angels. _'Oh, they're gonna hate me for this in a few years,' _thought Kagome. But she didn't ever want to forget this moment.

She put the camera away and quietly snuck downstairs, deciding that she would get breakfast ready when they woke up.

After a short while, she had made up a quick batch of pancakes. She had just finished putting the dirty pans into the sink when she heard a couple of soft footsteps into the room.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and said, "Morning Shippo, Shiori."

"M-mm-morning, mommy," yawned Shippo as he settled into his chair and picking up his fork as Kagome placed a large stack of pancakes in front of him.

"Morning, Ms. Kagome," Shiori came in yawning, rubbing the sleep out of her tired eyes. Kagome smiled as Shiori came in wearing her over-sized shirt.

"Shiori? You can just call me Kagome alright? You don't have to add the 'Ms' at the end," Shiori nodded and sat down on the chair in the table. She looked at Kagome wearing an apron while she was cleaning up. She sniffed, and licked her lips, it's smelled so good.

"Do you like pancakes, Shiori?" Kagome asked. Shiori nodded sweetly. "I like them with lots of syrup!" she chirped. Kagome came over to the table with another stack and the syrup bottle.

"When are we going to see my daddy, Kagome?" she asked as she began to pour syrup on top, which dripped down the sides and got on her fingers.

"We will eat first and then we go to school, after that we will go the hospital" Shiori nodded in agreement and began licking her fingers. Kagome felt her own heart jump for joy… today they were going to go visit Inuyasha today… she couldn't wait to see his face again.

Once Kagome had finished cleaning the pans, she started to wipe Shiori's face, trying to get all the syrup of her cheeks. Shiori for her part just kept giggling, saying that it tickled.

"Shippo?" she said once they were done with breakfast, "It's time for you to get dressed."

Shippo nodded and went back upstairs to his room. Kagome turned her attention back at the little girl, who by this time was licking her thumb.

"Alright Shiori, it's time for you to get dress too, ready?" Shiori nodded and took hold of Kagome's hand; heading towards Kagome's bedroom upstairs.

"But," Shiori began. "All my clothes are at my house."

"Oh, don't worry," said Kagome. "I can help you out."

Once they entered Kagome's room, she put Shiori on the bed and began searching through her closet again. Shiori twiddled her thumbs; and asked Kagome what she was looking for.

"You'll see," said Kagome as she began moving boxes and old clothing.

She searched her closet until she finally found a box that was marked, 'Kagome's Childhood Clothes.' "Ah found it!" she said excitedly. She grinned at Shiori as she pulled out the large box. Kagome placed the box on the bed and very neatly took out the dresses that she used to wear when she was Shiori's age. She had 5 small dresses… one was a pale pink with bright red bow on the front and two on the back. The second one was a blue dress with a bright pink heart in the middle. There was a green one covered with bright white and yellow daisies. The fourth was yellow-orange dress and little squiggles and a brown kitten. And finally a white dress with tiny glittering stars that sparkled in the light. Shiori pointed to the one with the sparkling stars; and said, "I like that one the best!"

Kagome picked it up to examine it for any tears or holes. When Kagome saw that it was still in perfect condition she grinned and told Shiori that she had made a nice choice. "This was my favorite outfit when I was your age," Kagome said slipping the dress over Shiori's head. "My mother made it for me a long time ago."

Shippo then stuck his head into the room, fully clothed and said, "We going mommy?" he asked quickly. "We're gonna be late."

Kagome nodded as she stood up, but as she headed to the door, she felt Shiori take hold of her hand to stop her. When Kagome looked at Shiori, she noticed that she was looking like she wanted to say something, but was turning as red as a tomato.

"Shiori?" asked Shippo concerned.

"Kagome…?" Shiori whispered quietly as felt her little hand shake slightly in her own. A frown came to Kagome's own face as she saw how worried that Shiori was. "What's wrong Shiori?" she asked her gently as she bent down to eye level.

Shiori raised her head and asked Kagome the last thing that Kagome was expecting her to ask. "Ms. Kagome? Can… can I call you… can I call you mommy?" Shiori asked embarrassedly.

To say that Kagome was surprised was an understatement; she sat on the bed and swallowed, not sure how to respond. Shippo looked astonished as he looked at Shiori up to his mother and back down again. Kagome stared at Shiori's sweet face for a brief moment and a smile creep to Kagome's face.

"You can call me mommy, but with one condition," Kagome rose up one finger in front of her.

"You can't call me mommy when anyone else but Shippo is around, alright?" Shiori looked up at her in shock, and the biggest grin that Kagome had ever seen had appeared on her face as she nodded and gave Kagome a big hug.

"Yes mommy," she said happily. Kagome returned the hug, enjoying the feeling and the words that came from Shiori.

Kagome then looked at Shippo and asked, "Is that alright with you Shippo?"

Shippo still looked stunned for a moment, but then a grin spread across his own face. "Does that mean that Shiori's my sister now?" he asked excitedly.

Kagome laughed, "Just for pretend… but yes. As long as you don't say that to anyone else… especially Inuyasha. I don't know how well he'll take to that."

Shippo jumped up and down and squealed, "I got a sister! I got a sister!"

"Alright," said Kagome, hating to break up the happy mood. "We have to go now."

But as they headed downstairs, Kagome kept looking at Shiori's face, who looked as if she had just won the lottery. There was something very familiar about her face… and the way that she said 'Mommy'… it sounded… almost right…

"Mommy?" called Shippo, who was standing by the car door.

"I'm coming Shippo," said Kagome as she locked the door behind her and Shiori ran over to stand by her new 'Brother.'

"We get to see daddy after school?" Shiori asked when Kagome unlocked the car door and helping them get in.

"Yes," promised Kagome. "I promise that we're going to go and see Inuyasha as soon as school is over." Shiori beamed and grabbed her mommy's hand.

"Let's go mommy!"

**(Sorry, I was planning on updating yesterday, but the power went out at my house for almost 2 days! It was a nightmare. I try to update this story, once about every 2 days though. I'm thinking about putting up another story soon; another Inuyasha and Kagome story… please give me your thoughts about that!)**


	12. I Like the Sound of That

**Chapter 12: I Like the Sound of That**

Every minute at school felt like an hour. Kagome couldn't help but look up at the clock every 10 minutes and sigh in frustration. Of course, she wasn't the only one; Shippo and Shiori also seemed to have developed the annoying habit of staring up at the clock whenever they had a chance. It wasn't until the bell rang, letting them know that school was over for the day were they all able to sigh in relief.

Kagome asked Sango if she could take over seeing all the kids off as she was explaining that she was going to take Shiori to visit her father in the hospital. Sango nodded, although Kagome wondered about the strange look that Sango was giving her… like she knew something that she didn't. But she quickly put it out of her mind.

She took the two children by their hands and led them over to her car. "We finally get to go see my daddy?" asked Shiori hopefully.

Kagome nodded, "Yes, I think we all waited long enough." She buckled them both into the back seat before she, herself got in the front and pulled out of the parking lot. "Yes, we're gonna go and see Inuyasha…" but she seemed to say it more to herself than to the children.

_*The hospital*_

Shiori looked out the window of Kagome's car up at the tall, plain building with its many windows with dozens of people coming in and out. Shiori grabbed her stuff kitty, which she calls Kirara, and pointed to the hospital building, letting Kirara know that her papa is in there.

"Mommy is papa there?" she pointed to the hospital. Kagome nodded.

"Yes, he is." A smile creep to Kagome's face as she remembered what Shiori asked her this morning.

'_Can I call you mommy?"_ she had asked uncertainly. A warm feeling settled in Kagome's stomach every time Shiori calls her mommy. Kagome parked her car and leaned back to help Shippo and Shiori out.

Shippo looked up at the hospital building with big eyes. "It's HUGE!" he said in amazement.

"It has to be," said Kagome as she locked the doors and walked around to the other side to where he was. "This place takes care of a lot of people."

"Wow," said Shippo in wonder.

Kagome headed through the entrance of the hospital, with a child in each hand.

_*Meanwhile*_

"This is the hospital?" Hojo asked glancing through the taxi window at the hospital building. He had followed Kagome unnoticed to the hospital. "Yep," answered the taxi driver. "You going to go and visit someone?"

"I guess you can say that," answered Hojo. He paid the taxi driver and headed to the hospital's front doors.

_*Kagome, Shippo, and Shiori*_

_'Oh, come on,'_ thought Kagome impatiently.

The three of them had headed to the receptionist and were waiting for her to get off the phone. Kagome was tapping her foot against the hard tiled floors with annoyance as she watched the woman talk.

"Yes, no… no… I just…" said the receptionist into the phone. "Look I don't care if he doesn't want a shot, I'm just doing my job alright?" she said frustrated before hanging up.

"Excuse me; is there someone by the name of Inuyasha Takahashi here?" Kagome asked, relieved that she had finally got off the phone.

The receptionist asked her to wait a moment while she looked up his name on a checklist next to her.

After a few minutes, she finally answered, "Yes, he's on the 5th floor. His family had already visited him a little earlier. And you are…?"

"I'm a friend," said Kagome although for some reason she didn't like the word 'friend'. "I'm here with his daughter," gesturing down at Shiori who was looking up worriedly.

"Is daddy alright?" she asked shyly.

The woman smiled encouragingly at the little girl before she pointed down the hall, "That's Mr. Takahashi's doctor," she said pointing to a man in a white coat who was talking to a nurse. "He'll be able to tell you." Kagome nodded and said a quick 'thank you' before they left.

"Excuse me!" called Kagome at the doctor. The doctor looked up, and Kagome saw that he had such a gentle expression, that it gave him the appearance of a person who couldn't even hurt a fly.

He nodded to the nurse that he was talking to and came over to meet them. "Hello," he said pleasantly. "My name is Dr. Suikotsu. Is there a problem?"

"No," answered Kagome, "But I was told that you are Inuyasha Takahashi's doctor… and I just wanted to know how he is." Suikotsu nodded as he led them towards the elevator.

"I don't know how much you've been told…" he said as the doors closed and he pushed the button with the number 5. "But he was in a bad car accident."

"Yes," said Kagome as Shippo and Shiori began talking to each other. "I heard. What happened?" She said this last part in a whisper so that only Suikotsu could hear.

"Well," said Suikotsu also so quietly that only Kagome could hear. "A gang of demons were causing a scare downtown and caused several cars to go out of control. One of them had going so fast that it went through a red light and smashed into Mr. Takahashi's side door." He must have noticed the scared and worried look on Kagome's face, because he went on saying, "It's lucky for him that he's a half-demon. Anything less and he wouldn't have lived. Inuyasha suffered severe trauma from his left chest to his side, a broken leg, a few broken ribs, and he lost a lot of blood. But there is no internal bleeding, or punctured organs, and he's recovering quickly."

The children looked up at him and asked when Inuyasha was getting out of the hospital. "I give him… maybe a couple of weeks of bed rest, and you won't even know that he had been injured," the doctor answered.

"So…" began Shiori who was holding on tightly to Kagome's hand. "My daddy's gonna be ok?"

Suikotsu smiled gently and said, "Yes, your daddy is going to be just fine. You just have to make sure that he gets plenty of sleep until he completely heals. Think you can handle that?"

Shiori nodded happily and asked, "Yes! Where is he?"

At that moment, the elevator doors opened and they all stepped out onto the 5th floor. "He's in room 534 right down there," said Suikotsu pointing to one of the many doors.

"Is he intensive care?" Kagome asked him quietly.

"He had some surgery done," answered Suikotsu truthfully. "But like I said, it's nothing that he won't fully recover from."

He led them to the door, and even opened it for them. "He's asleep now, but I think that he should be waking up very soon. I think that it would take a load off him mind if he knew that his little girl was safe."

Kagome nodded and thanked him. She led the other two, quietly into the room as Suikotsu closed the door behind the three of them. She waited until she heard his footsteps from the other side of the door walk away before she got a good look around the room.

It was a large room with the same plain white walls that seemed to be able to give you headaches if you stared to long at them. Inuyasha was sleeping in a bed with a couple of machines attached to his arms, which were all making annoying 'beeping' sounds every few seconds.

Kagome cautiously approached the sleeping figure, being as quiet as she could, before she then carefully sat down on a small chair that was right next to the bed. As Shippo looked over at the machines, Shiori got onto Kagome's lap; she took one looked at her father, before glancing at Kagome.

"Why is daddy not awake, mommy?" she asked turning to look at Inuyasha again.

"Because he's resting…" Kagome answered quietly.

But as soon as she spoke, a soft mumble came from Inuyasha. He opened his eyes lazily. He glanced around at his guests before he smiled.

Lo 'ome," His voice was a mere whisper of sound, his tongue refusing to shape the letters properly. He swallowed to moisten his throat and tried again. "Hello Kagome."

Shiori leaned over so that she could get a closer look at her father's face, and gazed into his concerned and slightly unfocused eyes. "Daddy," she said so quietly that Kagome wasn't sure she said anything at all. Shiori hugged him tightly as she sniffled and kept saying the word 'daddy' over and over. Inuyasha winced a little, but he was hung her back. "I'm fine Shiori. Everything is going to be fine."

Shiori could only nod when she finally leaned back onto Kagome's lap.

"How is my little girl doing?" he asked her.

Shiori rubbed her red eyes and said much more cheerfully, "Great! I went home with Shippo and Ms. Kagome last night! We played and…" as she went on and on about what happened yesterday, her father was trying to sit up. But when he tried to move, the pain in his lower stomach forced him to lie back down. Kagome told him not to push himself so hard, and Inuyasha was comforted by her words.

As Shiori went on with the story, along with Shippo who interrupted once in awhile, Inuyasha looked at Kagome and noticed that her eyes were slightly red. He then realized that she must have been crying.

'_She shed tears for me, cried for me…' _He smiled gratefully and took hold of her hand and squeezed it. Kagome looked at him startled at his sudden display of affection, but just gave him a smile and gently squeezed his back.

Kagome then noticed that Inuyasha kept closing his eyes as he listened to the children's story; unwilling, she let go of his hand and put it on his shoulder. He looked at her with confusion, his eyes still a little hazy.

"You still need to sleep," she said quietly. He nodded, although he didn't want to fall asleep just yet. He looked at Shiori who was staring at the wires that where attached to his hands.

"Thank you for caring for her Kagome," he said to her. Kagome nodded and told him it was no problem at all.

"She is an adorable little girl, one of the sweetest I've ever seen," she said looking at Shiori who now had her head on Kagome's shoulder.

"She sure is…" Inuyasha agreed and glanced at Shiori. Shiori turned around and smiled.

"What am I?" demanded Shippo who was looking a little left out. "Left over Ramen?"

Kagome laughed as she put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to her, "And you are the kindest little boy that I've ever known."

Happy that he was included, Shippo puffed out his chest in pride. Shiori grinned at her 'brother' before she chirped to her father without thinking, "Mommy has a really nice house. And she makes really good pancakes."

Kagome began to blush and told Shiori to shush as she put a hand over her mouth.

Inuyasha quirked his eyebrow and smirked at Kagome, who by now had a face as red as a tomato.

"Mommy, eh…?" he asked.

"Well…" began Kagome quickly trying to think of an excuse. "You see… I…"

"I like the sound of that…" said Inuyasha suddenly. Kagome was completely taken aback; but she was deeply thrilled that he wasn't even the slightest bit mad or upset.

That… or he was still a bit loopy from his surgery.

"Hey," said Shippo looking up at Inuyasha. "Since Shiori can her mommy, can I call you daddy?" he asked hopefully.

Inuyasha looked a little shaken by the sudden question. He thought it over for a moment before saying, "Well… I guess I can live with that." Shippo let out a cry of happiness as Inuyasha felt himself dozing off again. "To tell you the truth," he said to Kagome as his eyes began to darken. "I kinda like the sound of Shippo calling me 'Daddy'."

Kagome squeezed his hand and smiled at him before he fell asleep.

Kagome blushed as she watched the sleeping man in front of her. _'I like the sound of that too,'_ she thought as Shiori and Shippo watched their parents with identical grins on their faces.

_*Outside the door*_

_"I kinda like the sound of Shippo calling me 'Daddy'."_

Hojo overheard the conversation between Kagome and Inuyasha. He gave the door a dark glance before he turned and left.

"The truth will be told soon enough," he said to himself as he walked outside the hospital and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

**(All right, I have two more stories that will be going up as soon as possible. Don't worry, I'm going to keep writing until every one of my stories are finished so you don't have to worry about any of them being incomplete. Once I start something, I make sure that I finish it. The newest story is another Inuyasha and Kagome love story. **

**Inuyasha is a vampire… Kagome is a girl with a rare and delicious blood. Inuyasha comes to her every night and drinks. One night when he finishes feasting on her he says that her blood has become his addiction and he will continue to come for her. She tries to run… but he always finds her… but is it more than just her blood that he craves for?**

**I need help with a title! Please vote for one of these possible title names. If you think of another name then please feel free to share! And please tell me what you think of this story idea! It'll be going up as soon as I'm finished with chapter 1 and find its title.)**

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Blood Lust

Sweet addiction

An Angels Sin

Face in the Shattered Mirror

Moonless Dreams

Nightingale's Voice

Certain Taboos

To Love a Vampire

**(Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews of this story and I hope I don't disappoint for the next chapter. I'll be updating again very soon.)**


	13. Cold Eyes

**Chapter 13: Cold Eyes**

It had been a couple of weeks and Inuyasha was more than ready to finally leave his hospital bed. He was so bored that he was coming close to painting the walls with his own blood just to have something to do.

Kagome was going to be here to pick him up any second, and the thought of Kagome made his heart skip a beat. Ever since the accident she has been coming everyday with Shippo and Shiori to check on him. He savored each and every visit and each one was forever grounded into his memory. He grinned at the thought of what happened during their first visit.

Shiori had insisted on calling Kagome mommy, and Shippo had insisted on call him daddy. He couldn't help but feel warmth whenever he heard the little boy say the word daddy, and Kagome said that she didn't mind that Shiori was calling her mommy. He had to admit that it had a nice ring to it.

"Kagome…" he sighed pulling his sheets down and forcing his sore body to get up. "Damn, I can't wait to get out of this place," he mumbled to himself, as he began to pull on his shirt.

As soon as he had finished putting on his normal clothes, he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he called.

Kagome came in, a smile plastered on her face giving him a bright hello. "You ready to leave?" she asked. Inuyasha looked at her and blushed before giving her a, "Duh, what do you think?"

She was wearing a long green and white dress, which tied at the back; it revealed just a small piece of cleavage that could leave a man wondering.

"Pervert," said Kagome.

Inuyasha looked up, and hadn't notice that he had been staring at her so attentively. He blushed again and looked away, a small 'Keh' coming out of his mouth. Kagome merely rolled her eyes and took his hand. "Come on. We're taking my car." She then began to drag him from the door and towards the elevator; Inuyasha red as a tomato.

The ride home was quiet, an awkward position for both of them. Inuyasha coughed and decided that he should try to make conversation.

"So Shiori is at school?" he asked.

Kagome gave him a confuse look that clearly said 'you know she's at school'. "Yes she is, my friend Sango said that she could take over for me for today. I'm only allowed a few school days off a year, so I guess you can say I'm using one up?' she smiled.

Inuyasha felt guilty, here was this woman who had been taking care of his daughter for the past few weeks, and now is using her day off to help him out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for you to do so much for me and Shiori."

Kagome didn't look at him, because she was concentrating on the road. "You don't have to apologize Inuyasha," she replied.

"Yes I do…"

"No, you don't. It's fine."

Inuyasha was getting angry. Why was Kagome being so stubborn?

"Yes I do Kagome."

Kagome was trying to hold her patience. Why was Inuyasha being so stubborn?

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"No you don't!"

It kept going on till Kagome had finally had enough.

"Okay, you're forgiven. Now can you stop apologizing! Please?" she emphasized the word please.

"Fine" Inuyasha said crossing his hands to his chest, a pout on his face, making look like a child who had just been scolded of something wrong.

Kagome stifled a giggle.

'_He looks so cute, sometimes,' _she thought.

Inuyasha looked out the window and wondered where they were heading.

"Kagome where are we going?" he asked confused.

"We need to pick Shiori and Shippo, plus I have to leave some paper work for Sango to do."

"Oh," was his only respond, going back to staring out the window.

"Also I want to take the kids and go get some ice cream if you don't mind? I promised them that if they behaved themselves for Sango I'd take them out." Inuyasha told her that he didn't mind at all.

Soon they arrived at the school. Kagome got out and headed inside telling Inuyasha to wait inside the car. Inuyasha grunted and said fine, not like he could move if he wanted too.

He glanced out the window, with a bored expression. Waiting for everyone to hurry up and come back out.

_*Kagome*_

Kagome walked into the school, saying a few good mornings and hello's to some of the children on her way to her office. When she entered, she saw that Sango was on her desk, speaking with someone in the phone line; who sounded suspiciously like Miroku. Sango looked up and smiled. She said goodbye to Miroku and hung up the phone, turning her attention to Kagome.

"Kagome, how is your boyfriend doing?" she said, which only made Kagome blush.

"He is not my boyfriend, Sango. We're just friends, okay?"

"Right…" said Sango, her voice heavy with sarcasm, "If you two are just 'friends' then I'm a two-tail fire cat," she replied with a wink.

Kagome turned another shade of red and told Sango to stop. Sango raised her hands in surrender and asked her what she wanted. Thanks to their conversation, Kagome had nearly forgotten and took out a folder out of her hand bag.

"These are newsletters to the children's parents about the field trip that we're taking in a couple weeks. And to see if any parents want to chaperon."

She handed the papers to Sango; Sango scanned through some sheets and told her that she would be sure to pass them out to the kids when they left. Kagome smiled and told her she was taking Shiori and Shippo home just a little early today. Sango nodded and added a comment before Kagome left out the door.

"Oh you mean your new 'daughter' right…" Kagome stopped and smiled.

"Yes, my daughter," she answered before she left the room.

Sango was taken aback because she had been expecting for Kagome to deny it, but she didn't…

_'That man must be something special,'_ she thought to herself and picked up the phone to call back Miroku.

Kagome found the two kids playing by the sand box once again. Kagome quietly came up behind them and surprised them, Shiori giggled and hugged Kagome.

"Mommy, look at castle me and Shiori built," Shippo indicated to the castle as he also jumped up into his mother's arms.

"This is where mommy, daddy, Shippo, and me are going to live," she continued and Shippo laughed.

Kagome blushed at the thought of it.

"Alright, kids we have to go. Shiori? Your father is waiting for us in my car, come on" Kagome grabbed the little girl by the hand and headed outside.

"Do you remember your promise?" Shiori said stopping to pick a small flower that they had passed.

"What promise?" asked Kagome in a teasing voice.

"Mommy!" said Shippo. "You said that you'd take us out for ice cream today if we were extra good!"

"Did I?"

"Mommy?" called out Shiori laughing. "Stop playing games."

"I'm not playing games," said Kagome still teasing. "But how about we go out for ice cream?"

They laughed.

Shiori jump up and down from enjoyment

"I like strawberry!" she said.

"I want cookies and cream!" called out Shippo as they walked pass the front gates.

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha was beyond bored. He had been watching people walk back and forth in front of him for nearly 15 minutes. He was deciding if he should get out of the car and go see what was taking everyone so long or to just keep waiting. But before he could make up his mind… something unusual happened.

Someone was standing right across from him on the other side of the street and was staring at him with cold eyes. It was a man with a harsh and cold face with messy brown hair hung on his face greasily, and icy cold eyes that looked as if they were made of ice. The way that he was looking at Inuyasha… if looks could kill, Inuyasha would probably be in a body bag by now.

Inuyasha despised the look in his eyes so much that he wanted nothing more than to get out of the car, walk over to him, and poke out those eyes.

Inuyasha tried to get out from the car, but before he was able to put his hand on the handle, the man turned and walked away. He went around the corner, and was out of sight.

"Damn it…" he said angrily. "What was with that guy? You think that I killed his dog or something?"

He looked out the side window on the other side, and saw Kagome coming with the two children next to her. Once they arrived at the car, Shippo and Shiori jumped into the backseat, both saying, "Hi daddy!"

He grinned for a moment before he sank back down into his gloomy mood.

Kagome helped the kids in the back seat and did their seatbelts, before getting back in the front seat. When she buckled her own seatbelt, she glanced sideways at Inuyasha who looked like he was brooding to himself. He looked at her quickly before turning his head away. Kagome, a little confused and a little hurt at his behavior just turned the key and waited for the car to roar to life. She looked at him again and this time he had his back to her while he stared out the window as if he was angry. What could've happened to make so irritated?

'_Inuyasha?'_ she thought and sighed as she pulled out of the parking lot and heading to the ice cream shop.

**(Thank you for your thoughts on my newest story! If you guys want a quick preview on the prolouge, I just updated my profile. Please tell me what you think! I'll be updating this story again soon!)**


	14. Operation: New Parents

**Chapter 14: Operation: New Parents**

Inuyasha was beyond worn out; it had been a long, long day. Kagome had taken them to a little ice cream shop because she promised Shiori and Shippo. The kids were both beyond excited and ordered strawberry and cookies and cream ice cream cones. When they asked him what he wanted, he merely said that he wasn't hungry.

After they got their ice cream they headed to a park nearby and ate in silence. Once Shiori and Shippo had finished their ice cream they had bolted to the nearby jungle gym, and began to pretend that they were monkeys. Kagome sat at a nearby bench, with Inuyasha sitting by her side and watched the two play. He was in his own little world, and when Kagome asked him what was wrong he had accidentally snapped at her.

Kagome decided not to talk to him for the rest of the evening; although he had tried to apologize to her. He winced at that memory.

"Great, now I have to apologize to her tomorrow," he said after finishing tucking Shiori to bed and leaving her room. It felt so good to be home… which had been empty for weeks. But he would worry about cleaning tomorrow however; he returned to his own bedroom and looked around at the familiar walls.

Five years… five years had passed, although to him it felt like an eternity had passed since his wife had died. He slumped on the bed and sighed. He then reached over to the little drawer next to his bed, and opened it to take out a photo that was a little crooked at the edges. He sighed and looked at it. It was his wife.

She was wearing a typical modern priestess robe of red pants and a white shirt; a smile on her face. Next to her was a giant tree, and she looked completely at ease. As he looked closely at the picture, his wife's face changed to Kagome's. Startled he rubbed his eyes and stared back at the picture… it was back to being Kikyo's face.

"Weird," he muttered. He took a good glance at the picture and then a thought came to his head.

"Now that I think about it, they both look nearly identical." He took in the shape of Kagome and then of Kikyo's. There was no mistake, both women could've easily have passed as twins. The only flaw that he could think of were; that Kikyo's hair was straight and smooth cut at the edges, while Kagome's was more of a raven color, with waves at the edges. He also thought of their personalities. Kikyo was always the reserved type, calmed and yet mysterious. Kagome is the cheerful, carefree kind, with a short temper. He was disturbed by his thoughts when a little person jumped to his bed.

"Daddy? I can't sleep," Shiori said scooting to her father's side. Inuyasha smiled and put his large arm around her scooting her closer. Shiori smiled and then glanced at what her father was holding. She peeked and smiled.

"Is that mommy?" she said, yawing a little. He nodded. "Yeah, this is mommy" Shiori looked again. And noticed that that was not her 'mommy'.

"That is not Kagome daddy," she said.

"I know, this is your real mother, runt," Shiori looked confuse.

"That is my real mommy?" she asked, realizing that this is the first time that she had seen a picture of her real mother. "She looks like mommy though, daddy."

Inuyasha quirked his eyebrow. "Tell me about it," he said.

Shiori looked at up at her father for a long time before she said, "You like Kagome?" It wasn't a question.

Inuyasha looked at her startled. "What on earth makes you think that?"

Shiori shrugged. "You always smile so much bigger whenever you think about her," she answered simply. "See? You're doing it now!"

And Inuyasha's had indeed started to smile. Inuyasha shook himself back to reality and said, "I think that you need to be getting to sleep."

Shiori blushed before she muttered a soft 'sorry' and laid back to sleep against her father. She shut her eyes and in no time, she had fallen asleep.

'_Could it be possible that… I do like Kagome?' _he put on a determined face as he tucked blanket around the little girl. _'Tomorrow I'll talk to her.' _He leaned down with Shiori, snuggled up against him. But he was wide awake; somehow sleep was the last thing on his mind.

"That Inuyasha is such a jerk!" Kagome slammed her fist on the table, making a few papers fall to the ground.

Sango sighed and helped her friend pick up all the fallen papers."I know… Kagome. You've been ranting about him since you came in today."

"It's just that…" Kagome began as she picked up the papers and neatly set them on her desk.

Sango sighed again and gave her the some of the fallen papers. "I know Kags, I know…" she said patiently.

"I was trying to be polite… it's not like I was snooping around or anything… I was just concerned. And then he just snaps at me." Kagome leaned back on her chair and sighed; all this frustration was too much.

At that moment, someone with cheerful voice came in; Kagome looked up into blue eyes, somehow filled with mischief.

"Hi, Miroku," Kagome said rolling her eyes. Miroku make look like an innocent character, but don't let that fool you.

"Hello my beautiful ladies," he said while going to Sango and kissing her on her cheek. Seating next to her he flashed a friendly grin to Kagome

Sango was the first to speak. "Is something wrong?" she asked her husband.

Miroku looked up at her with a feint hurt expression. "Can't a man come to say hello to his lovely wife without having her think that something's wrong? I came to say hello, its lunch break so I have lots of time till I have to go back to work."

"Where exactly to do you work in Miroku?" Kagome asked, but was interrupted when a child came running into the room. She was laughing, and had thrown her arms around Kagome's neck. "Mommy! I missed you!" Shiori cried smothering Kagome.

Kagome squeezed her happily, before trying to pry her arms loose.

Miroku quirked an eyebrow, truly confused. "Since when do you have a daughter Kagome?" he asked.

Kagome sighed and told him it was a long story. She then heard a coughed behind Miroku. And it turns out that it was one of the last people she wanted want to see at the moment. Miroku turned around, a smile plastered on his face.

"Hello there Inuyasha," he said, Inuyasha grunted and said a small hello, before looking back at Kagome, who had averted her eyes away from him.

Sango looked skeptical and truly dumbfounded. She didn't know that her husband knew the man that her best friend fancied. The air was becoming thick around the room, mostly for two particular adults. Sango and Miroku noticed this, slipped away saying that she needed to talk with Miroku. Kagome stared at Sango begging with her eyes to stay. Sango nodded but Miroku pulled her out; when they left the room, it was only her and Inuyasha. Shiori had decided that it was boring being around adults and went to find Shippo in the sand box.

For a while, neither of them spoke to each other. Heck, they couldn't even look at each other. Kagome went back to her desk and started to pretend to fill out some papers, while Inuyasha wondered around the room, and looked at the few pictures on the wall.

"If you don't need anything," began Kagome a little coldly, "You can go."

"Look… I'm sorry…" somehow the words were harder then he thought. He was nervous, Kagome noticed.

"No, it's okay…" she said no longer able to pretend working.

"No… It's not okay" he started. "I didn't mean to snap at you like I did… it's because… while I was waiting for you to come back to the car… there was this guy standing on the other side of the street and if looks could kill I'd be in a body bag now." Kagome looked up at him startled.

"What?" she asked. Somehow it felt like a knot had formed in her belly and was making dizzy.

He nodded, and looked at Kagome. "I swear, he was looking at me like I stole his wife from him or something. He was looking like he wanted to kill me."

She was a little pale. Someone looked like they wanted to kill Inuyasha? She didn't like the thought of that at all.

Inuyasha went to her side, although he was still having problems with his leg. Kagome noticed this and stood up to go to him, telling him that he should be careful. She put her hands on his shoulder, trying to steady him with her weight.

Then to her complete amazement, he grabbed her and pulled her to a hug. Kagome was so shocked that she stiffened, but then slowly started to relax after a few minutes. When she was in his arms, she was breathing in his scent… he smelled of smoky cinnamon, with some exotic spices. It was a wonderful smell.

"I just don't know anymore…" He whispered to her.

"Inuyasha…" she said not sure what he meant.

"I'm confused Kagome."

Kagome looked at his face and asked him why. Inuyasha looked down at her as he was breathing in her lavender, cherry blossom with a hint of honey scent. It was a wonderful smell.

"Because… I think I'm falling in lo-"

He didn't get too finished when Miroku and Sango came in. Both stunned and looked at the two people whose faces were as red as they can get. Inuyasha and Kagome pulled themselves away from each other, not being able to look in the eyes. Miroku grinned at this, which cause Sango to jab her elbow to his side, truly embarrassed. Inuyasha glared at Miroku, which cause Miroku to gulp.

"What are you doing here anyway Miroku?" Inuyasha barked at him. Miroku shrugged before he hurriedly gave his wife a quick peck and left the room. Inuyasha turned around and found a pair of warm brown eyes. He smiled at the blush that still lingered on her cheeks.

"I have to go too…" he said unsure what else to say. Kagome nodded and told him "Okay."

"I'll be here to pick Shiori up later."

"But Inuyasha, how are you going to drive?"

He grinned at her, which cause Kagome to blush again.

"I've got good car insurance."

Kagome could only muttered an 'oh'.

Inuyasha soon left, Kagome was exhausted, and her heart was still fluttering.

Sango came to her best friend, a grinned plastered on her face. "So mind explaining to me what was going on here Kagome?" she asked as if she was just asking Kagome what she thought the weather was going to be like tomorrow.

Kagome smiled. "Well…" she started…

_*In the sandbox*_

"Shiori?" asked Shippo trying to sound unconcerned as he started to drive a toy car through the sandy streets of the little town that the two of them had made.

"Hmm?" answered Shiori as she began to pour some sand into the bucket.

"You know that you and I aren't really brother and sister right?"

Shiori stopped for a moment before she sighed sadly, "I know."

"But… we can be," said Shippo. Shiori looked up at him in confusion.

"How?" she asked.

"Well, I like your daddy. And you like my mommy right?"

Shiori nodded.

"And I know that my mommy really likes your daddy. She gets all dreamy-eye whenever someone talks about him."

"And I know that daddy really likes your mommy. He always smiles when he thinks about her," said Shiori.

"Well that's just it!" said Shippo excitedly. Shiori looked confused and asked, "What's it?"

"Well," said Shippo, "If my mommy marries your daddy… then…"

"Then we'll all be a family!" cried out Shiori getting it.

"Exactly!" said Shippo rubbing his hands together. "We just have to get them together."

"Great," said Shiori. "But how do we do that?"

Shippo smiled, "We just have to get them to fall in love. How hard can that be? Once we pull this off… then they'll get married… and when they get married then we really will be brother and sister, and we'll have both a mom and a dad! So, you with me?" he held out his hand for her to shake.

Shiori hesitated for a moment, but then she realized what Shippo was saying. Her daddy wouldn't be lonely anymore, Shippo would be her brother, and Kagome would really be her mommy. Her mind was made up. She reached over and took Shippo's hand and shook.

"I'm in!" she said.

Shippo gave a brief nod. "Good! Now it's time for Operation: New Parents!"


	15. Breakup

**Chapter 15: Break-up**

"Alright that's it for today, now get lost!" Inuyasha shouted at his students once class was done. Once he was sure that they were all gone, he walked out the door, locked the door, and headed towards his car. _'I hate this,' _he thought. His leg may have healed, but it was still sore and felt as if it was full of hundreds of splinters.

Just as he made it over to his car, someone slaps him on the back. "Yo, Inuyasha," said that voice that he would know anywhere.

"Miroku, what are you doing here?" he snarled as he put his key into the door.

"Hey, someone's in a grumpy mood," said Miroku leaning up against the car. "So… going to go see Kagome now?" He was grinning from ear to ear and spoke in a voice that sounded like a child who knew that his friend was doing something bad. Inuyasha grunted and turned the key.

"I'm going to pick up Shiori," said Inuyasha not looking at him.

Miroku nodded, "And while you're picking her up, you can check out her teacher?"

"Miroku… unless you want your face punched in, I suggest you shut up."

"Alright, you don't need to threaten. I just wanted to say, nice ride. You must've had good car insurance Inuyasha," said Miroku as he looked over the car.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha pulling open the door and finally turning to look at him. "Is that all you want Miroku?"

"Oh, I guess," said Miroku calmly. "I was just curious about something."

"What?"

Miroku raised his eyebrows and looked at him slyly. "Inuyasha… what exactly were you and Kagome doing when Sango and I came in?" He grinned at the look on Inuyasha's face, when a blush crept up, making his face look like a tomato.

"We weren't doing anything," Inuyasha mumbled, looking embarrassed.

"Really? Call me crazy, but to me it looked like you were going to say something to her," Miroku teased.

"It's none of your business so drop it," he grumbled as he got into the car. Miroku's face changed into a stern one.

"Inuyasha do you still love Kikyo?" he asked seriously. Inuyasha froze for a moment before he slammed the door. Once he was comfortable, he lowered the window so that he could talk with Miroku.

"I don't know…" he answered truthfully.

"Understandable," said Miroku thoughtfully. "I just don't want you to end up hurting Kagome… I know you have feelings for her…"

"I won't hurt her…" said Inuyasha fiercely.

"Have you told her about your wife?"

"No."

Miroku sighed. "That's not good."

"I'll tell her eventually…" began Inuyasha.

"You're going to tell her, if you don't, things between you two will not turn out for the best!" Miroku said angrily. "And then I'll be forced to tell her!"

"Alright, alright I'll tell her… I'll tell her," Inuyasha said catching his breath. That is one good reason why he didn't like Miroku.

"When?" Miroku asked.

"Today…" he turned on the car.

"How do you think she's gonna take it?"

Inuyasha looked at him for a brief moment before shaking his head and saying, "I have no idea."

"Is everyone done?" Kagome called as she looked around, smiling as the children showed their drawings to her. She walked around the students who all whispered to her about what their pictures were and they all smiled proudly.

Once she came behind Shippo and Shiori, they seemed to be concentrating on their work. Kagome poked her head behind Shiori. "What a beautiful picture," she said.

Shiori grinned and explained the picture. There were four stick people colored.

"This is daddy," she whispered as she indicated to the biggest stick person with two dog ears on top. Kagome nodded and asked who the other three were.

"This is me," she indicated to the smallest stick figure.

"This is Shippo," pointing to the second smallest. "And this is you mommy," she said pointing to the third stick figure.

Kagome smiled and at the same time blushed, recalling what almost happened the previous day.

'_Kagome I think I'm falling in lo-…'_ she could still remember his breath next to hers, their lips almost touching. She touched her lips and smiled. '_Was he going to say love?' _she thought. She was broken from her thoughts as someone was tugging at her arm. She looked down and saw that Shiori looked like she still wanted to talk.

"Mommy and daddy will get married and then we'll all live together and…" Shiori continued.

Kagome smiled surprise how long Shiori could talk in just one breath. At that second Sango came over to her. "Kagome, Hitomiko said that someone is here to see you."

"Really? Who is it?" asked Kagome looking up at the clock. "It's not time to pick up the students."

Sango shrugged. "I don't know. She just said that someone's in your office wanting to talk with you."

"Oh," said Kagome surprised. "Ok…" she got up and left, leaving the two children to continue their drawing. Once she was out of sight, Shippo looked up at Shiori and grinned.

"Nice going," he said with a sly grin. "You made her blush."

"Yes," said Shiori. "But I really meant it."

"Oh, I know," said Shippo. "But mommy and daddy need a little help getting together. We're just helping out a little. The more they think about each other, the better chance they have of falling in love."

Shiori nodded before she went back to her picture. _'Kagome will be my mommy,'_ she thought. _'And Shippo will be my brother. And we'll all be a happy family. Like the kind I've always wished for.'_

Kagome made her way to her office and walked in. At first, she thought that it was one of the children's parents who had wanted to talk to her about their child's behavior, she had been getting a lot of those lately. But instead, to her horror, it turns out to be the one person that she hoped that she would never have to see again.

"Hojo," she hissed angrily.

Hojo looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Hello Kags," he said calmly. "Miss me?"

Kagome shut to door behind her. Once the shock of seeing him had worn off, she was more than ready for another shouting match and didn't want the students to hear her scream.

"Not in the slightest," she said coldly.

Hojo sighed, "I see your temper hasn't improved since our last meeting."

"Shut up," she said. "What do you want this time?"

Hojo began to walk around the room, avoiding her eyes, "You know what I want."

"I already told you," said Kagome, her anger getting the better of her. "You're not getting Shippo, so just leave."

"Don't you want to hear my story Kags?" he asked serenely.

"No," said Kagome. "I want you out of my life."

Hojo stopped walking and said, "Years ago, after Shippo was born… I was scared. I was too scared to be a good father. But now I wanna make up for that."

Kagome let out a strangled laugh. "You think I believe that? You never wanted Shippo; you were the one who wanted the abortion. And after Shippo was born, you didn't want anything to do with him. And now you think that by saying I wanna make up for that is going to change things? I don't believe for a moment that you really want Shippo. You said so yourself that you only want him for the child support money. And besides, I made a vow that my son is NOT going to grow up like you. You can do your worst, but I'm not letting you anywhere near my son."

Hojo sighed, "And here I was hoping that we could settle this without arguing." He looked over at Kagome and said, "Fine. I'll leave you alone. But before I go, I just want to know more about the man who replaced me."

"Replace you? What are you talki-"

"I'm curious. I just want to know more about that man that you're currently seeing."

All the blood from Kagome's face had drained. "What man?" she demanded.

"Oh," said Hojo coming towards her. "The one who had been in that car accident recently. What's his name now? Ah yes… Inuyasha Takahashi."

Kagome felt as if her insides had frozen. "I'm not seeing anyone," said Kagome through numb lips.

"Don't play dumb with me," said Hojo sounding annoyed. "I know that you're head-over-heels for that half-demon."

Kagome felt the anger coming back to boiling point. "Inuyasha has nothing to do with this."

"Perhaps," said Hojo. "I mean this is family matters. I'm just concerned that something could end up happening to him over all this."

Kagome had become increasingly pale. She hadn't notice that she was standing, and carefully leaned back down to her chair.

"You wouldn't dare…"

"I'm just saying that you can't spell slaughter without laughter," was all the answer she got.

Kagome gave him a dirty look. "I can't believe you're my son's father. If I didn't know better, then I swear that you were lying about all this."

Hojo merely shrugged as he looked at the clock and headed towards the door.

"I have to go Kagome, I appreciate you hearing me out like this. I hope that we'll be able to talk some more later." With that, he left the office, leaving Kagome behind to quietly sob.

Inuyasha looked out the window and a small smile came up to his face.

'_Today I will tell her…' _he thought as the car pulled up to the entrance of the school parking lot.

'_Today I will definitely tell her…' _he kept saying to himself with a determine attitude as they headed to the gate entrance of the school.

Kagome felt horrible, that same sickening feeling growing worse.

'_What have I done?' _she thought as she leaned up against the wall.

"What's wrong beautiful?" said Sango's voice. Kagome looked to her left and saw Sango's eyes filled with concerned and worry.

"Nothing, I'm just tired of life," she said pulling herself up and stretching in a tired manner. Sango grinned.

"Kagome… who was that person who wanted to see you?"

Kagome didn't answer. She wanted to tell Sango, but at the same time she didn't want to tell her. "No one that matters," she finally said truthfully.

Sango looked mildly surprise before she just shrugged and said, "Alright, I'll just finish these files and meet you at the entrance." She walked away.

'_It's better this way… I can't see Inuyasha anymore. Who knows what Hojo will do to him and Shiori if I do?' _She let out a long sigh and smiled to herself as she looked at her hands. '_I've been sighing all day. No wonder Sango's concerned about me.'_

'_I hope she understands,' _thought Inuyasha as he put his hand in his pocket waiting for school to be let out. He didn't have to wait long, a few minutes later the bell rang and kids came pouring out of the building like a flood. He calmly stepped aside as they went running pass him.

"Daddy!" called a voice from over the noise. Shiori came running up towards him, dragging a large piece of paper with her. She leapt up into her father's arms and gave him a big hug.

"Hey, runt," he said cheerfully as he looked at her face. "How was school today?"

Shiori held up her picture for him to see and said, "Look at what I drew today!"

"Inuyasha?" said a sad voice interrupting them.

Inuyasha looked up at the voice, and saw that Kagome was walking towards him. The smile that had been on his face a moment before vanished as he saw the miserable look on her face; her skin had was pale, her lips where swollen as if she had been biting down on them all day, and her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

"Kagome?" he asked in concern as he put Shiori down. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Kagome nodded, although he could see that she was fighting to hold back tears. "I'm fine. I'm fine, really. I've just under a lot of pressure lately."

Inuyasha didn't believe her, but he didn't want to press the matter any further. He looked down at Shiori and told her to go and wait by the car. Shiori looked between Kagome and Inuyasha with a confused look on her face before she nodded and left. Once she had left, he took a deep breath.

"Umm, I-I, umm," he stuttered, trying to get out what he wanted to say. Unfortunately, Kagome had beaten him to it.

"Inuyasha? Listen… I… I think that it would be best if we don't see each other anymore," she said this as fast as she could, as if hoping that the words wouldn't hurt as much.

Inuyasha felt as if Kagome had just slapped him. "What?" he demanded as he felt his heart breaking. "But Kagome… why?"

Kagome just shook her head and turned her back on him, not being able to stand the hurt look in his eyes. "I'm sorry. But it's better this way. We shouldn't be seeing each other like this." And before he could say anything else, Kagome walked (almost ran) away, back into the school; but as she through the doors she glanced back.

'_It has to be this way…' _she thought, her face solemn, tears building up in her eyes, but unwilling to fall.

Inuyasha stood there completely frozen; he couldn't feel his body anymore… it was like he had become frozen inside of ice cube. The shock was almost too much for him to bear.

It wasn't until Shiori had come back to him and tugged on his arm, asking him if they were going to leave did he finally turn away from the school and head towards the car.

'_I've lost her… I've lost her for good,' _he thought as a deep misery overcame him.


	16. I'm Sorry, I didn't mean it!

**Chapter 16: I'm Sorry, I didn't mean it!**

The weeks kept passing by fast and things in the school where not as pleasant as they once were. Sango had notice that the somewhat relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha was not going well at all. It seemed that every morning Inuyasha would drop Shiori off and then he would turn towards Kagome's direction, a solemn look on his face. He would say good bye to Shiori and then leave… but not before giving a quick glance towards Kagome's direction before heading back to his car. Once he was gone Kagome would go back inside and often stare off into space with an equally sad look. Sango sighed as she went to where Kagome, Shippo, and Shiori were at on the front steps.

"Hello Shiori, Shippo," Sango said to the kids, who said a quick hello before scattering to the inside of the building. This left Kagome and Sango alone in the entrance. Sango glanced at her best friend; her usual smile was missing for so long now.

"My daughter would have been that age too." Kagome whispered, still staring toward the direction Shiori had gone. Sango looked surprise and at the same time curious, why would she be bringing up her dead daughter now of all times?

"What about your daughter?" she asked. Kagome looked at her through depressed eyes.

"Sango, you're my best friend, you know that right?"

Sango nodded, clearly not understanding what that had to do with Kagome's problem. Kagome stared off into space she began to explain the conversation between her and Hojo. Once she was finished, Sango was staring at her with repulsion. "He's threatening you?" she hissed, fighting to keep her temper down. "Oh I swear, the next time I see him, he's a dead man."

Kagome leaned against the wall. "I don't know what to do," she said truthfully. "I don't know what Hojo can do, but I'm terrified that he might go after Inuyasha and Shiori to get back at me. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them because of me."

"Did you tell the police about this?" asked Sango. Kagome nodded, "I told them, but they couldn't find any trace of Hojo. It's like he just disappeared. Besides, I need proof that he's threatening me, for them to be able to do anything. Since he hasn't done anything, they can't arrest him. I don't know if he would actually go as far as to hurt Inuyasha or Shiori but… I can't risk it. Even if it hurts me… I can't see him anymore."

Kagome began whimpering silently, Sango came up to her and hugged her back. Trying to do everything she could to relax Kagome of the trauma that her ex has given her.

_*Shiori and Shippo*_

Inside the school, it was time for drawing, something that everyone could enjoy. Shiori sat in the far corner by herself, with a determine look, obviously concentrating hard on what she was drawing. Miss Hitomiko looked around, praising all of the children she passed until she reached Shiori's table. She stopped behind her, who was still coloring patiently, her little tongue out a little concentrating on her final touches.

"What are you drawing Shiori?" she asked curiously looking at the drawing the little girl was drawing.

"A picture," Shiori replied as if stating the obvious. Hitomiko rolled her eyes and answered, "Yes, I can see that. I mean, what kind of picture are you drawing?"

"Oh, I'm drawing a picture about how a dog fell in love with a cat who gets kidnapped by a wolf, and the dog goes to save her," she said, coloring in the figure of a white dog.

"That's very interesting Shiori," smiled Hitomiko. She praised the child and put a star sticker on Shiori's forehead for a good job. Shiori smiled and thanked her, and resumed to her drawing. "Now the cat is going to jump down a well back home," she said more to herself than to Hitomiko.

Hitomiko walked away, but she couldn't help but think, _'Kids can think of the strangest things.'_

Shiori continued drawing for awhile until she finally looked up at Shippo who was seating at a table by himself. This was unusual for him, because normally he never left Shiori's side during school. But he told Shiori that all he wanted was to be left alone for the day. She'd been worrying non-stop about her family over the last few weeks. Her father's had been walking around the house as if something broke inside him. Kagome had become so distant and depressed whenever she sees her father, and now Shippo…

Shiori couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her picture before she stood up from her seat and went over to Shippo's table without a second thought. He looked up to see who it was, but then turned his head down away from her. Shiori was taken aback but bit her lip to hide the hurt in her eyes. She sat down next to him and put her picture in front of her; she then put her hands together on her lap and looked down at her drawing. She was quiet for a moment before she looked up at him and asked softly, "Shippo? Shippo what's wrong?"

He didn't answer her. He didn't even look at her.

"Shippo? Why won't you talk to me?" she sounded like she was about to cry. "What's wrong?"

Shippo sighed before finally speaking, "I'm fine. I just don't want to talk right now."

"But…" persisted Shiori.

"Look," snapped Shippo as he turned to look at her. Shiori took in a sharp breath as she saw the pained expression on Shippo's face. "Mommy's been so sad ever since she talked with your daddy. I hate seeing her like this. She hasn't smiled in weeks… I just want things to go back to the way they were. When we were happy… before…"

Shiori didn't understand, "Before what?"

She then stared as the tears slowly began to well up in Shippo's eyes. "From before I meet you!" he said loudly.

Shiori felt as if Shippo had just smacked her. She was too stunned to speak. "What do you mean?" she said asked as the tears began to well up into her eyes as well, "What are you talking about?"

"Your daddy hurt my mommy!" Shippo said looking as if every word was hurting him. "For weeks, mommy's been so unhappy, and it was all because she and your daddy talked that day! And now, every time that she thinks about him, she starts to cry!"

Shiori sat in bewildered silence as she listened to Shippo. And then, probably for the first time in her life, she felt a deep anger boiling up inside her. "What makes you think that it was my daddy who did anything? Maybe it was your mommy!"

Shippo turned away from her, not wanting to hear anymore. His eyes then landed on the picture that she had brought over. He just reached over, and without any consideration grabbed her drawing to get a better look at it.

"Hey, give me back my drawing, Shippo!" Shiori yelled sounding angry. And without thinking, she grabbed the other end of the paper and pulled until it was ripped to two pieces. Shocked, Shippo and Shiori both dropped the two ends of the paper. Shippo was shaken, he had never lost his temper like that before and he felt sick with himself for making Shiori cry. Shiori bend down and picked up her drawing, whimpering.

"Shiori?" he said softly as he looked down at her picking up the ripped drawing. Shiori got up huffed, frowned, and felt the anger burn inside her. In her hand the two pieces of her drawing and she felt her hands curl into fists.

"Oh yeah?" she snapped back, "Well your mommy made my daddy sad! We were doing just fine without you guys around!"

And then all hell broke loose. She and Shippo both began yelling at each other so loudly that all the other students stopped and stared. The shrill screaming got the attention of the two women who were both standing outside. Kagome came running in and forced them apart which stopped their yelling. As she pulled them away from each other, they both started whimpering like crazy. Kagome looked at Shippo, whose eyes were red and puffy, and over to Shiori's tear stained face. Her eyes red of crying and in her hand a two ripped pieces of paper.

"What's going on?" Kagome was the first to speak, as she comforted them both.

"Shiori started it," Shippo sobbed.

"No! He started it!" Shiori sobbed, but was cut off by an angry Kagome.

"Shippo! Shiori! If you both have a problem then you should come and talk to me about it. Not screaming at each other. Is this how best friends act?"

"But-" Shiori desperately. Sango interjected and looked at Shiori's hand, who was still holding the two halves of the paper.

"Shiori what is that in your hand?" Sango asked curiously. Taken aback, Shiori seemed to have forgotten all about her picture and showed it to the teachers.

"It was my picture," she said, her tears subsiding.

"Why is it ripped?" Sango asked the two kids.

"He ripped it," Shiori said pointing at Shippo.

Kagome looked down at Shippo and asked him if it was true.

Shippo looked down in shame. "I ripped it… but I just wanted to see it and she…" he pointed a finger towards Shiori. "She grabbed the other end and it… it ripped."

Kagome looked at Sango and who could only shrug. She sighed and looked at the kids that she loved so dearly.

"Both of you will be in a time out." They both looked upset and tried to reason with Kagome who shook her head.

"My decision is final, now both of you to the corner this instant," Kagome said, pointing warningly at the two corners of the room that had to two chairs facing the wall in the opposite direction. They both just nodded and walked over to the corner without another word.

As they reached the corners, and settled into their chairs, neither one said a word.

_'I'm such a terrible person,'_ thought Shippo in his corner. _'I was upset and I took it all out on Shiori, I'm sorry, Shiori… I didn't mean it.'_

"_Kagome and Shippo will become a part of my family," _Shiori thought as she sat in the other corner. _'I'm sorry Shippo.'_

_*Kagome*_

Kagome let out a frustrated sighed. Everything was just too much for her to bear. Having Shippo and Shiori fighting over who knows what, and the idea that her ideal man, who could end up suffering because of her crazy ex-husband, was overwhelming her.

"Right now that last thing I need is to see him," she sighed again. Sango came in holding two cups of coffee in her hands.

"Overwhelmed, eh?" Kagome only nodded and accepted the cup of coffee.

Sango took a few sips before she asked, "What do you think they were fighting about?"

Kagome shook her head, "I have no idea, I've only seen Shippo get that angry when we talk about his father…" Sango reached over and took Kagome's hand. "Don't worry," she said. "Things will work out somehow." Just as Kagome was starting to feel better, someone knocked at the door.

"Come in!" called Sango letting go of Kagome's hand. It was Midoriko holding a stack of folders in her hands and a tired look on her face. Kagome looked up curiously, "Is something wrong Midoriko?"

"There's someone here to see you Kagome," she answered. Kagome gulped; somehow just knew who it was waiting to see her. She sighed and looked at Sango who only gave her a sympathetic look before turning back to Midoriko. "Let him in," Sango said as she made a fist and punched her other hand. "He'll have me to deal with and I'll set him straight." Feeling better, Kagome nodded in agreement.

"Yes," she said to Midoriko, "Let him in." Midoriko nodded and went to fetch Hojo.

"Today is just not my day," she said softly.

A few minutes later, Hojo came in. He smiled a dark smile that made Kagome want nothing more than to punch his lights out. As he walked over to the desk, he glance an annoyed look at Sango.

"Is something wrong?" Sango asked with a dangerous look. "You got a problem with me or something?"

"I need to talk to you," he said and turned his gaze back to Kagome.

"Yes?" asked Kagome readying herself for a fight.

"Privately," went on Hojo.

Sango cracked her knuckles, "I prefer to stay if you don't mind." She then leaned back in her seat and stared daggers at him.

_*Inuyasha*_

"Alright class is over for the day," Inuyasha said in a depressed tone to his students. They all headed out with confused and worried glances at their teacher; he had been acting like this for weeks now. As they left, they were all thinking the same thing, _'He must've gotten dumped by a girl.'_

Inuyasha sighed, which was all he was doing since that day… the day that he and Kagome broke up. Of course… it wasn't like the two of them were actually dating or anything… I mean, they never even went out on a date without having a couple of kids around. He locked his dojo's door before heading to his car, not noticing the annoying pest that came up behind him.

"Where are you going my friend?" Miroku asked, putting his arm around Inuyasha's neck and walked by his side.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha said gloomily.

Miroku raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "You know Inuyasha," he said as if he were a scolding parent, "You've become a real bummer lately. Cheer up! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go and pick up Shiori," he said, still sounding depressed.

"Isn't it too early?" asked Miroku slightly surprised.

"Yeah, but I also need to talk to Kagome," Miroku nodded in understanding and in approval. "That's the spirit. You need to go beg Kagome to take you back."

Inuyasha's head snapped up and he opened his mouth in anger before Miroku went on, "I'll go with you. I want to see my dear Sango." Inuyasha rolled his eyes calling Miroku what he really thought of him.

"Now, now," said Miroku feinting to sound insulted. "You make me sound worse than I really am."

Once they reached the school they headed to the front office. There was Hitomiko sitting at the desk, filling out some papers; and he asked her where Shiori was.

"Shiori is in the next room in time out," she answered him, not looking up from her work. Stunned and curious he asked why she was in time out.

"She and Shippo got into a fight," she answered still not looking up. "She and Shippo are both standing in the corner of the other room."

This got him angry, no way in hell that his little angel would do something like that.

"I'm taking her home," he said coldly. She nodded and Inuyasha headed toward the direction that his daughter was at. He spotted her sitting in the corner and staring at the wall. When he called her name; Shiori turned around and smiled, running towards her father's open arms.

"Daddy," she said hugging him to herself. Inuyasha hugged her hard before he pushed her back so that he could look her straight in the face.

"Shiori Takahashi did you hit someone?" he asked seriously. Shiori lowered her head, "I yelled at Shippo papa," she said sounding upset with herself. "I got really angry with him but we didn't hit each other. We just shouted." She indicated to Shippo on the other corner of the wall.

"Mommy Kagome didn't let us explain daddy," she said as Shippo looked up at them. Inuyasha looked from Shiori to Shippo and back again, trying to figure this out. "What were you two fighting about?" he asked. Neither of them answered; they just looked down at their feet."

Inuyasha had enough.

"We're gonna have to talk to Kagome about this," he said as he grabbed, not only Shiori's hand but Shippo's as well. After that, he dragged them both over to Kagome's office. Forgetting about his manners, he opened the door and called Kagome's name, wanting to get some answers.

But he stopped dead at what he saw in front of him. His eyes passing over two stunned women looking at him, and over to the man that was standing there with them… the cold eyes… he recognized those eyes.

This was the man he saw staring at him with such a hated expression while he was waiting for Kagome to come out with the kids that day… the man who stared at him with the deepest of loathing.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha asked the man coldly.

The man looked at him, and smiled… but it wasn't a cheerful smile… or a friendly smile… it was a dark and twisted smile. It was the kind of smile that you would expect the devil to be wearing.

**(Sorry for making Shiori and Shippo look bad in this chapter, but even the best of friends fight sometimes right? They are still kids, but don't worry, they'll make up soon. This is important for later, and besides, thanks to them, Inuyasha has finally come face-to-face with Hobo… er… I mean Hojo. And sorry for taking so long with this chapter... i've had a lot of work to do.)**


	17. Down the Well

**Chapter 17: Down the Well**

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha asked the man coldly.

The man looked at him, and smiled… but it wasn't a cheerful smile… or a friendly smile… it was a dark and twisted smile. It was the kind of smile that you would expect the devil to be wearing.

Something caught Inuyasha's eye, and he saw Kagome's face becoming as pale as a sheet. As he looked her in the face, he saw something there that he never saw before… it was fear… anxiety… and pain? What was going on?

Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed the look in Kagome's eyes. Shippo let go of Inuyasha's hand and ran over to his mother with a worried look on his face. "Momma?" he asked as he took her hand, "What's the matter? You don't look so good."

Kagome looked up at the man before telling Shippo that everything was going to be alright and that he should go outside and to let her handle things here.

"Why? This freak giving you a hard time?" asked Inuyasha staring at the stranger with hate.

"Yes," answered the man as he took a few steps forward towards Kagome and Shippo. Inuyasha saw Kagome shove Shippo behind her as if trying to protect him. "Oh, come on Kagome," said the man in a cold voice that Inuyasha didn't like at all. "You can't keep this secret forever." He then looked down at Shippo before going on, "Shippo?"

"Don't you dare say another word to him," snarled Kagome menacingly. This got her son's attention, as well as Inuyasha and Shiori, because they had never heard Kagome sound this angry before. "Momma? Who is he? What's going on?" Shippo asked timidly, as if afraid that she'll snap at him.

"He's nothing," said Kagome in a much calmer voice to Shippo before turning back to the man. Inuyasha looked back towards the man, who began to roll his eyes. "Shippo?" the man said, earning a death glare from Kagome. "It's been too long since I last saw you."

Shippo now looked totally confused and scared by this man, "I don't know you."

The man shrugged, "I'm not surprised, after all you were only a newborn the last time we met."

"Hojo!" said Sango from her chair in a warning voice. It took Inuyasha a minute to realize who she was talking to, and he looked at him with a deep loathing. Whoever Hojo was, if he was making Kagome this upset, then he would have to deal with him.

"Shippo?" repeated Hojo again, "Do you know who I am?"

Kagome interrupted him, "Hojo this is between us! Don't you dare…"

Hojo went on, "Shippo? I'm your father."

Stunned silence fell on everyone. Inuyasha stared at Hojo… the man who just abandoned Kagome and Shippo just a few years ago… the man who wanted nothing to do with them; and he felt his hatred for Hojo go up significantly. He then felt a tug on his pants and looked down.

"Daddy?" Shiori asked quietly looking upset. "Is he really Shippo's daddy?"

Inuyasha honestly didn't know what to say to Shiori… but he didn't need to.

"Momma?" asked Shippo in a stunned voice, looking up at Kagome. "Is he really my…" but he didn't need to finish asking… the pained look on Kagome's face was enough of an answer. "He is my real daddy?" he asked to himself. He was confused as he looked at the man in front of him. When he looked at the cold eyes and the greedy look on his face, Shippo decided that he didn't like the man at all. The look on his face didn't sit well with his stomach.

Hojo put on, what apparently was supposed to be a loving and kind look, before he opened his arms for a hug from Shippo. Shippo hid behind his mother's leg, not wanting to go anywhere near Hojo.

"You're not my father," he said as menacingly as Kagome did.

"I'm your father," Hojo repeated coldly. "And you're my son."

Inuyasha looked at him, trying to figure this out. This man that he had saw a few week ago was Kagome's ex-husband, and the father that Shippo never had. His gaze went to Kagome, who was trying hard not to show her tears. He now understood why Hojo looked at him that day like he had stolen his wife.

'_But why is he back here?' _he thought. _'Why did he come back?'_

Shippo then asked what Inuyasha was thinking, "Why? Why are you back here?"

Hojo sighed and said as calmly as he could, "Because I want to make up for leaving you and your mother nearly 5 years ago." He said this so convincingly that Kagome almost believed him.

"Don't lie!" she snapped. "You never wanted anything to do with me or Shippo. So I would appreciate it if you didn't lie to my son."

"He's my son too," said Hojo harshly.

_ 'But if he's my daddy, that means that Inuyasha and mommy might not get married,' _thought Shippo in a panic, and that thought didn't sit well with him. He looked up at Kagome, "I don't want him to be my daddy; make him go away!" he shouted.

"Shippo," Hojo said trying to get closer to the little boy. But Kagome made sure that he was behind her and they kept backing away. Tears began to surface on Shippo's face, his chubby hands rubbing at his eyes before he started whimpering, pulling Kagome's leg.

"That's enough you brat!" Hojo barked. Sango got up and stood between Kagome, Shippo and Hojo; she was getting ready for a fight.

Inuyasha finally had enough, he also walked forward so that he stood right in front of Hojo with his fists clenched; his face harsh and detached.

"Sango?" asked Kagome. "Please, take Shippo and Shiori."

Sango looked like she was about to argue, but her eyes fell on Inuyasha and she nodded. "I'll leave this to you two," she went to the children and took their hands before leaving the room, living the three people alone to talk.

_*Shiori and Shippo*_

Sango shut the door behind her and sighed; she knew sooner or later they would meet, she just didn't think that it would've been like this. She looked down at where Shiori and Shippo were, but Shippo had disappeared. Desperately, Sango and Shiori looked around, before looking outside and saw him sitting at the sandbox.

Sango looked at him, and she felt so bad that his father turned out to be Hojo. She had a feeling that Shippo wanted to be alone right now… but…

"Shiori?" she said looking at the little girl. "I think that you're the only person that Shippo's going to be able to talk to right now."

Shiori looked up at her in surprise, "Why? We had that big fight and…"

Sango interrupted her, "It was just an argument. Best friends… or siblings," she said that next part with a smile "Should always make up. Besides, I think that Shippo needs a friend now more than ever."

Shiori looked over at Shippo before looking back up at Sango and nodded. She went outside and over to the sandbox, trying her best to control all the emotions that were trying to come out.

"Shippo?" she said, sitting besides Shippo, who had his back to her. Shippo just kept playing in the sand, ignoring Shiori. She asked again, but still no answer. "Please Shippo… I want to help you. But I can't if you don't tell me how."

"I don't want him to be my daddy," Shippo silently said, finally looking at her. He put his little chubby hand in Shiori's, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said earlier. I was just so upset at seeing mommy so sad that I guess I blamed you. I want mommy and your daddy to get married, and I want you for a sister. Not the man we saw in there yelling at us."

Shiori nodded, putting her head down, tears coming down her angel face, "I know… I'm sorry too. I never got that angry before and I want us all to be a family." Shiori threw her arms around Shippo's neck, and held onto her 'brother', never wanting to let go.

_*Kagome and Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha was staring down Hojo, with Kagome right behind him. "Look," he said, "I don't care if you're Shippo's biological father. You gave him up years ago when you abandoned him and Kagome. So you have no right to be back here."

"This is none of your concern mutt," snapped back Hojo. Inuyasha took a step forward, ready to break Hojo's spine, if Kagome wasn't holding him back.

"What did you call me?" he hissed.

Hojo rolled his eyes, "You think those dog ears would give you better hearing. I said that this isn't any of your concern mutt."

Kagome's eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were streaming with tears, as she struggled to hold Inuyasha back. Not that she cared if he attacked Hojo, but because she was afraid that something might happen to Inuyasha.

"You don't have to do this Inuyasha," she whispered, "This is my problem."

"It may be your problem Kagome, but it's mine now too," he whispered back. He turned back to Hojo and barked, "Get lost. No one wants you here, so go do everyone a favor and step into traffic."

Hojo stepped forward, just as someone knocked on the office door. All three of them, snapped around to see that Hitomiko stuck her head in and asked for Kagome. "Kagome…?" she then saw, not only the protective stance that Inuyasha was taking in front of Kagome, but how Kagome was holding him back, and the threatening look that Inuyasha and Hojo were giving each other.

"Is something going on here?" she asked Kagome. Though the look she was giving her was clearly asking if she should call the cops.

"So something wrong?" asked Kagome as she quickly wiped her eyes.

Hitomiko seemed confused for a moment before she remembered the reason why she came in. "Yes…" she said. "Some of the kids are throwing up, and I need your help with them."

"Now?" asked Kagome her eyes going wide and looking at the two men with concern.

Inuyasha looked at her and said quietly, "Don't worry. The two of us are just going to talk. You can go."

Kagome didn't look convinced but she nodded before following Hitomiko out of the room and towards the sick kids. Once they were gone, Inuyasha turned to Hojo and asked, "So, you're the reason that Kagome doesn't want to see me?"

Hojo shrugged as if unconcerned, "All I said is that I was curious about the man she was seeing, and wondering what she would do if something happened to him."

Inuyasha paled, "You're threatening her?" he barked.

Hojo turned his back on Inuyasha and walked around the room, looking everywhere but at him. "I never threatened her. It's not my fault that she misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" repeated Inuyasha sarcastically. "I don't know what you're planning but you better get out of here before I really lose my temper."

Hojo raised his eyebrows, but with his back to Inuyasha, he didn't see it. "Why do you care so much?" he asked. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Look," Inuyasha said with ice in his voice, "I'm not going to let you hurt Kagome or Shippo. I don't care who you are, or what you're doing here, but I'm going to protect them from you."

Hojo's eyes narrowed at the realization of what he suspected all along. '_So he is in love with Kagome,' _he thought with distaste.

"You love her… you love my wife, Kagome, don't you Inuyasha?" he glared at him.

Inuyasha's eyes widen for a moment before he shot back, "She's not your wife anymore."

Hojo got angry that Inuyasha was avoiding his question; fuming, he grabbed hold of the front of Inuyasha's shirt and asked harshly, "Do you love her? Do you love Kagome?" he asked. Inuyasha smacked Hojo's hand away from him.

Inuyasha turned his head away from him, but the image of Kagome came to his mind. He closed his eyes, and images of the times that she smiled at him came to him. The way she smiles, her calm and yet bad temper which makes her look so out of the ordinary, like an angel with two sides to her personality. The woman who was reckless at times and yet was there when he needed her. The woman that brought joy back into his life after his wife had died. The woman that he loves… yes, the woman that he loves…

He opened his eyes again as if coming out of a trance and looked at Hojo. His eyes filled with a new fire, and determination he said, "I don't love her."

_*Shiori and Shippo*_

"Shippo? Where are you going?" called Shiori as she watched Shippo go out the front gates of the school.

"It's alright Shiori!" Shippo called back. "I'll come back soon. I just want to go somewhere real quick." Shiori on the other hand wasn't going to let him leave without a fight and went running after him. She knew that they were going to get into trouble if they were caught, but she didn't want Shippo to be alone.

"Where are you going Shippo?" she asked once she had caught up to him.

"I want to go to the park real quick," he answered back. Shiori looked confused and asked him why.

"I'm going to the wishing well that's in the park," he said as he grabbed Shiori's hand and looked around, hoping no one saw that they left the school grounds.

"The dry well?" asked Shiori in confusion.

"Yeah," said Shippo as he led her away from the school. They went behind the building, where no one could hope to see them, and over to the park just a block away.

Shippo pointed, "I can see the park from here!" But Shiori stopped, "I don't want to go." Shiori said trying to break free from Shippo's hold.

"It's ok," he said letting go of her hand and stopping. "I can go by myself."

"But why do you want to go to the well?" she asked, not wanting to leave Shippo.

"My uncle Sota told me that if you throw a coin into the dry well that's in the park, then you can make a wish," said Shippo, "And I want to go and make a wish… I'm gonna wish that mommy and daddy will get married, and then we'll grow up together, and we can have a baby brother or sister."

"Really?" Shiori exclaimed, liking his wish.

"Really," Shippo said. "All you have to do is throw a coin into the dry well, and that's it! Just like that you get a wish! Do you still want to come?"

Shiori nodded happily as she took his hand and walked towards the park gates. Both of them talking about how they were going to wish long and hard for their wish of a family to come true.

_*Inuyasha and Kagome*_

"I don't love her," Inuyasha said, which made Hojo smile.

"Good," he said coolly. "So you will stay out of things that don't concern you?"

"No," replied Inuyasha calmly.

"WHAT?" roared Hojo getting angry again. "But you just said…"

"I still care about Kagome and Shippo," Inuyasha went on. "And I'll be damned if you hurt either of them. Physically or emotionally… I'm going to protect them from you."

Hojo clenched his fist, trying desperately to control his anger. Then, unexpectedly, the back of his fist collided with the side of Inuyasha's face, and Inuyasha felt his head snap to the left in pain.

"You are indeed in love with her… you're in love with Kagome… I'm warning you once and only once. I will not let you have Kagome's love," Hojo grated out between his clenched teeth, the sound like monster, warning him to stay back. He then exited the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his cheek, a bruise starting to form.

"I guess now I have to talk to Kagome," he said to himself.

_*Shippo and Shiori*_

The two kids arrived at the old well in the middle of the park.

"It's so old," Shiori whispered, curiously looking around as if expecting something to happen.

"Yeah, it is old… anyways come on Shiori, or else we won't get our wish," Shippo said, pulling out his quarter and leaning up against the edge of the well. "Wish hard Shiori. And then we go back to school."

Shiori nodded as she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes; wishing with all her heart that their parent's will fall in love and get married. She kept wishing and wishing over and over again until she heard the sound of a coin hitting the bottom of the well. She opened her eyes to see Shippo leaning dangerously over the edge, looking down into the well at the coin. "We going now?" she asked him.

Shippo nodded, but as he tried to pull back, the old rotting wood suddenly broke and Shippo went tumbling over the edge. "SHIPPO!" screamed Shiori as she grabbed hold of the back of his shirt, trying to pull him back, desperately trying to regain her balance. But their combined weight was too much and they slipped and fell down into the old well.

**CRASH!**

Shippo hit the bottom of the well, and Shiori landed on top of him. Dazed and bruised, Shiori began to cry again. "Shippo?" she whispered, hoping that Shippo was alright and knew how to get them out of here. But Shippo didn't answer… his eyes were closed. Shiori knew that Shippo was hurt and she had to go and get someone to help him. The only problem was that they were both trapped down an old well… with no way out.

"Daddy!" she screamed, crying out for her parents to help her. "Mommy, Daddy! Please help us!" she shouted. She tried to move, but her leg hurt too much, and she was having trouble seeing straight. Seconds turned to minutes, and every second that past, she felt herself getting colder.

"D-d-dad-daddy… m-mo-momm-mommy… hel-help…" she whispered, as darkness began to cloud her vision. As she closed her eyes and the image of Kagome and Inuyasha appearing in front of her, bringing a smile to her face.

"Mommy… Daddy… Shippo…" she whispered one last time before closing her eyes and falling into unconsciousness.

_*Kagome*_

Kagome was just helping the last sick child into the bathroom when she saw Hojo walking out of the office with an angry look on his face. He cast Kagome a deadly glance before he continued on his way and walked through the open front doors and out of sight. Scared, she passed the sick children to Hitomiko in a spare room with the other sick kids before she ran to her office. She was about to open the door when someone opened it first, and she came face to face with.

"Inuyasha," she said still holding the door knob.

"I was just about to look for you Kagome," he said as he opened the door wider to let her in. Once inside he closed the door, leaving the two of them alone again.

"What did you say to him?" Kagome demanded, clearly scared at what happened while she was gone.

"Answer me first…" said Inuyasha seriously. "Hojo was threatening you wasn't he? Is that was why you kept pushing me away?"

Kagome gulped and nodded, "I'm sorry if I hurt you." She turned away from him, not being able to look him in the eye, "I didn't want to… but I just couldn't bear it if anything happened to you and Shiori because of me."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked sounding desperate.

"I had to… this is my problem and I just thought… that if Hojo thought that we weren't seeing each other, then he'd leave you alone and…" but before she could finish her sentence, Inuyasha cut in.

"So basically you lied to me because that nutcase comes along and starts talking big?"

"This is between me and him; I didn't want you caught up in my problems. This is my business," she said trying to get him to understand.

"Your problem? Kagome your problems are my problems," he answered trying someway to reason with her.

"Why? Why are you saying that Inuyasha?" she demanded, her back still to him. "I can't think of a single reason why you would say that!" She didn't know what to expect him to say… but what he said next blew her mind.

What he said next made her heart stop because she could hardly believe that she had just heard.

"Because… I'm in love with you, Kagome."


	18. WhiteHot Fire

**Chapter 18: White-Hot Fire**

"Your problem? Kagome your problems are my problems," he answered, trying someway to reason with her.

"Why? Why are you saying that Inuyasha?" she demanded, her back still to him. "I can't think of a single reason why you would say that!" She didn't know what to expect him to say… but what he said next blew her mind.

What he said next made her heart stop because she could hardly believe that she had just heard.

"Because… I'm in love with you, Kagome."

Stunned, Kagome just stood there. It felt like the world had just stopped moving from what he said. Like she was stuck in a place where time no longer existed… and she and Inuyasha were trapped in this place together.

"No," she whispered.

"No?" echoed Inuyasha.

Kagome let a long breath, her eyes streaming with tears as she replied once again, "No, this can't be right."

"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha as he took a step towards her only to have her walk a step away.

"No," she said as she put her face in her hands, trying to figure this out, "We've only known each other for a few months at least! It takes years to fall in love." Something was aching inside her, it was agonizing, and she felt as if she would die from the pain.

'_So this is how it feels to have your heart breaking,' _she thought clutching a hand to her chest as the words still echoed in her mind. When Hojo left her years ago, she felt pain yes, but that was nothing compared to this…

"I just don't know anymore," she helplessly, her voice racked with sobs. Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around to face him. She looked up into his face… a face that she at seen in her dreams… yes she had been dreaming of him for a long time now.

He smiled and softly brushed her eyes, to get rid of what was left of the tears and told her, "I think you do know."

Kagome was about to speak when he put his finger to silence her. Kagome could feel the heat of his finger burning her lips and shivered because of it.

"Yes you do. Give us a chance Kagome," he asked quietly.

Kagome looked down in embarrassment, not knowing what to do. But still her heart and brain have already made up their minds for her. '_I'm not sure what to do, I just can't and yet I want too. I want him to hold me, to hold me and never let go… I want to be with him."_

"I think…" she said drifting her eyes away from him, so he wouldn't see the love that was radiating off of them. He cupped her cheek, turning her face towards his, Kagome could feel his breath; her heart skipped a beat as she met the golden eyes.

"I think that…" she managed to say as Inuyasha placed his other hand on her other cheek, cupping it.

"Shh…" he shushed as he brought his face closer to hers. Kagome, by instinct, closed her eyes and suddenly she felt soft lips press gently against her own. She let out a sigh, her eyes slightly closed and hazy from the kiss. They both felt like white-hot fire was spreading though every part of their bodies. The kiss was short and chaste yet somehow… held a hidden passion that only the two of them felt.

"I love you," Kagome finished what she had started to say as their lips separated.

"I know that. Tell me something I don't already know," Inuyasha responded before he leaned in for another kiss. But this next one wasn't like the last. This one was full of passion; it was as if their love for each other was a blazing white-hot fire that scalding their very beings, their entire bodies burn as if they were in flames.

"Mmm…" Kagome moaned as his lips teased hers, his hot breath steamed with undeniable love as if mixing with her own. Inuyasha placed one hand on the back of her head, and the other on her waist as Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Neither of them had ever felt like this. Inuyasha pulled away, not because he wanted to but because they both needed the air. Kagome reached up and traced his face gently with her finger; she wanted to memorize his beautiful face and it looked as if he was doing the same with hers. But just as their lips were going to meet for a third time, the sound of the door being thrown open was heard and Sango came in.

"Kagome? I just wanted to know if… oh…" Sango stopped dead as she looked at the scene in front of her, but quickly regained her composer, her face turning as red as a tomato. "Sorry, wrong room," she said as she quickly shut the door. Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged glances, and both started to blush and laugh at being caught in the act.

"You can come in Sango," Kagome called as she moved away from Inuyasha. Sango slowly opened the door, her face still red as she looked at them. Her hands nervously handed the paper work to Kagome as she looked at Inuyasha, who had a small blush on his face. No one knew what to say, and the fact that Inuyasha was feeling nervous and Sango feeling very embarrassed didn't help. Kagome smiled at both of them, but that smiled quickly faded into a serious one. She brought her hand to her heart, as she suddenly felt a pain again… but for some reason this pain felt different.

'_Why does my heart still hurt?' _she thought. _'It's unbearable. Like something bad happened. What is it? What's going on?'_

Kagome's face constricted in silent pain, as tears started to resurface. Inuyasha looked at her startled and went to her side, with one arm around her, rubbing her shoulder.

"Kagome are you alright?" he asked, as he watched her face becoming very pale and tears falling. He looked at Sango, and asked if she could go and call someone. But before Sango was out of the door, Kagome called out to her.

"NO! Sango, please go check on all the children, see if any are missing," she begged, her heart still hurting. Sango looked confused, but nodded without question and left the room.

"Do you need an ambulance or something Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he held her close. Kagome shook her head and said, "I need to make sure all the children are alright, that's my biggest priority. I can't explain it… but I have this feeling… something bad is happening."

Inuyasha shook his head, "What makes you think that something happened to any of the students?"

Kagome sighed as she put her hand over her heart and said simply, "Mother's intuition." She held onto Inuyasha as if he were her lifeline; she let him give her comforting words as they waited for Sango to come back.

Sango came in a few minutes later, once she had finished counting all the children.

"I counted all of them, the ones inside and the ones outside, and it looks like…" Sango paused, looking uneasy. "There are two students missing…"

Kagome hitched a breath, and became anxious to know who was missing.

"Who is it Sango? Please tell me," Kagome begged urgently. _'And please don't let them be the two people who I think they are,'_ she silently pleaded as the pain in her heart came along with a new feeling of drowning in despair and the feeling of a breaking heart.

Sango played with her fingers nervously as she looked at Kagome's worried face and at Inuyasha's curious and slightly confused face.

"The children that are missing are…" Sango looked at Inuyasha as she said the next part. "Shiori and Shippo."

Inuyasha's face stiffened, his eyes widened in horror, his hands started to shake as he began turning pale white. He couldn't move, there was no way he could. He felt as if his heart had just been seized and was having the life squeezed out of it.

"Shiori?" he echoed and suddenly out of his trance he went to Sango and desperately asked where his daughter was.

"Where is she? Where's Shiori?" he demanded in a trembling voice. Kagome then came over and began asking the same thing about Shippo.

"We don't know," Sango said honesty as she looked at them both with pity. "I'm sorry." Kagome called to Midoriko and Hitomiko and told them to try to find Shippo and Shiori.

"You don't know?" Inuyasha barked. "Two kids are missing and you don't know?"

"Inuyasha try to come down," Kagome said trying to hold the tears that kept spilling, she went towards Inuyasha and placed a hand on his shoulder, which he dismissed and asked Sango once again where the kids were.

"Inuyasha, we are trying our best to find them, so please come down," said Sango a little desperately.

Inuyasha bolted out to find the kids, yelling their names, hoping that they'll respond.

"Shiori? Shiori! Shippo? Where are you?" he yelled outside, Kagome coming to his side and also yelling for her son and _'daughter'_.

"Sango? Please get all the other children inside. We don't want any more missing kids," Kagome called back. Sango nodded, and called out for all the children to go inside. The children were all upset and confuse about why playtime had been called off.

"Shiori? Shippo?" Inuyasha whispered in despair as he and Kagome kept looking for them.

About 20 minutes had passed, and there were still no signs of Shippo or Shiori. Most of the children had already been picked up, leaving only 3 or 4 more children, waiting for their parents. Kagome, Sango, Inuyasha, and Midoriko kept looking, while Hitomiko took care of the few remaining children inside.

Inuyasha by this time was exhausted and miserable, despair and worry began to over take him.

"Where are you?" he whispered to himself, leaning up against a big tree in the school's playground. Kagome came to his side and place her hands over his, giving him her comfort.

"Don't worry Inuyasha, we will find them, I know it," she sniffled and rubbed at her sore and red eyes. She had been trying to think of where Shippo and Shiori could be… but she hadn't had any ideas to what could've happened.

"Shippo…" she said softly, now understanding the pain in her heart. "Shiori…"

The wind blew softly, and Kagome was able to inhale the smell of the little flower blossoms in the tree; it would've been pleasant if things weren't so serious. Wait smell…? That gave her an idea…

"Inuyasha?" she said softly staring up at the flowers.

"What?" Inuyasha groaned miserably.

"You're half human… but you're also half demon… half dog demon…" Kagome said slowly, not wanting to get her hopes up to high in case her idea didn't work.

Inuyasha looked at her in astonishment, "You know that already. Why bring that up now of all times?"

Kagome looked at him in the eye and said with a deadly seriousness, "You're half dog demon right? Follow your nose Inuyasha. See if you can track them."


	19. Following your Nose

**Chapter 19: Following your Nose**

Inuyasha had followed his nose through the schoolyard, across the street and towards the park.  
"What on earth would they be doing all the way out here?" Kagome asked as she and Inuyasha walked pass the park gates.

Inuyasha shook his head, "I don't know. But I'm definitely picking up their scents this way. I'm positive that they're still here…"

They were glancing at every little thing, trying to see where their children could possibly be.

"I would never think of looking here…" Kagome said trying to calm her nerves and find her way around the tall grass, but her shoe collided with a large rock and she stumbled. She closed her eyes, awaiting impact with a solid surface, but once again, two strong arms prevented her fall. She looked up into golden eyes, a smiled came to her face as she saw her savior.

"Inuyasha… thank you," she whispered as he pulled her up straight and told her to watch her step.

"There are a lot of rocks so be careful… here," he extended a hand, which Kagome gladly accepted. Hand in hand, they continued the way that Inuyasha said; hoping that their kids would come running towards them any minute.

After a minute, the old dry well came into their sight. Inuyasha pointed towards it and said, "Their smell is strongest over there." They quickened their pace as they headed towards the well.

"That's odd, why would they come here?" Kagome asked looking around for any signs of them.

"It's a wishing well right?" Inuyasha said. "Maybe they wanted to make a wish… but something happened?"

Once they made it to the well, they both looked around. "I don't see anything," said Kagome. She looked at the well, before realizing how one side of it looked as if it caved in under a great weight. Inuyasha must've noticed too, because we went to the side and looked down.

"It's so damn dark; I can't see anything inside, Kagome," Inuyasha gestured, squinting his eyes and started to lean farther over the side.

"Be careful Inuyasha," Kagome said following close behind him. "That wood looks rotten."

Inuyasha looked down, but nothing, only darkness. He squinted his eyes, trying to force them to see something… and then he noticed that there was a small, strange silhouette in the darkness.

"Oh, wait," said Kagome as she reached into her pockets and took out her keys. "I have one of those keychain flashlights. It's small but it should help."

She handed him the key chain, and he turned on the little light and flashed it down the well. He gasped as what he saw.

"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome sounding scared. "What's wrong?"

"Shiori and Shippo," he said in horror as he stared down at the two unconscious figures at the bottom of the well.

"Shiori? Shippo?" he yelled, but they didn't respond.

"Kagome call an ambulance!" he yelled as he jumped down the hole without another thought. In a panic Kagome took out her cell phone, while Inuyasha landed at the bottom of the well, and shivered from how cold it was down there.

"Shiori… Shippo…"

"How are they?" Kagome yelled from the top of the well, not being able to see Inuyasha in the darkness. "Please tell me that they're alright."

"They're blue and…" he touched his daughter's skin, it was cold. Worried he reached for her and pulled her off Shippo before laying her in his lap. He grabbed a hold of her hand and searched for a pulse.

"Come on runt," he said worried as he couldn't find a pulse, but then he felt something, and it was the little girls pulse, which meant that she was still alive.

"She's alive still," he sighed in relief as he then pulled Shippo onto his lap and felt his wrist. He let out another sigh when he felt Shippo's pulse, though it was weak.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called sounding hysterical. "The ambulance is on its way. Are they…?"

"They're alive!" Inuyasha called back up and Kagome felt like she could cry again from relief. With one great jump, Inuyasha was up and out of the well. He landed next to Kagome and passed her Shippo who looked panicked. She took her son and held him close to her as she began to whisper, "Shippo? Mommy's here now. If you can hear me… you're going to be just fine." She then kissed Shippo's forehead as she took off her jacket and wrapped it around him, trying to warm him up.

"Come on Runt; wake up," Inuyasha whispered to the unconscious little girl in his arms. "Come on kids, don't do this to us," he pressed on, pinching the little girls cheeks to try to get some kind of reaction out of her."Don't worry Runt; everything is going to be alright."

_*The Hospital*_

"Inuyasha everything is going to be okay," Kagome reassured him, though she was wishing someone would reassure her.

Inuyasha nodded, but the image of seeing the kids down that well was torture to him.

"I know… I hope so…" he said as he bowed his head, trying to calm his nerves.

They both arrived the hospital and were waiting for the doctor to come back to tell them what was happening to their kids. "I'm sorry," said Kagome without looking at him.

"For what?" asked Inuyasha not understanding why she was apologizing to him.

Kagome shrugged, "I was just thinking about what happened back in my office before all this happened. Before the… ah kiss." She went crimson red and a small smile came to her face. "I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for getting you involved in my problems. You know… it's not too late… you can always leave and…"

"Too late for that," said Inuyasha as he turned away from her, a blush coming to his own cheeks. "I'd leave, but my heart belongs to you now."

Kagome looked up only to meet his warm eyes and his blushing face. "I…" she began, her heart beating rapidly of what he had just said. Just then, a man in a white coat came over to them.

"Excuse me are you the parents of," he looked down at the small clipboard in his hands, "Shiori Takashi, and Shippo Higurashi?" Kagome and Inuyasha both nodded as they stood up. The man raised his hand and Inuyasha shook it.

"I'm their doctor," the doctor said, "And I wanted to know if you had any questions?"

"How are they?" Inuyasha asked worriedly. "Are they alright?"

The doctor nodded and told them that it was good that they had brought them as soon as they found them, because any later and they might not have made it.

"The girl… Shiori," he said as he looked down at the name on his clipboard, "She has a broken leg, a dislocated shoulder, and a few bad cuts."

"And you call that alright?" Inuyasha said a little frantically.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, as she put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. She then looked at the doctor and asked, "What about Shippo?"

"Well, Shippo as some broken ribs, a sprained arm, a cracked collarbone, and he also has some bad cuts as well," said the doctor and Kagome also felt herself getting angry.

"Can we see them now?" Kagome asked impatiently. The doctor nodded and asked again if they were their parents.

"Well…" Kagome began but was suddenly caught off by Inuyasha.

"Yes," he said as he grabbed a hold of her hand and gave it a small squeeze. Kagome looked at their joint hands and smiled at him.

"So can we see our children now?" Inuyasha said, getting angry at the doctor.

"Of course… please follow me this way," he indicated to the number of doors of the hospital.

"Room 547," Kagome read as the doctor twisted the doorknob and stood back to let them in. Both adults looked at the little kids that were both sleeping in beds far too big for them.

Kagome began to whimper silently as she went closer to the beds and took Shippo's hand. Inuyasha sadly smiled as he took a seat next to Shiori.

"Hey runt," he whispered, stroking the little girl's hair.

"Mmmm," moaned Shiori as her eyes opened. She hazily looked around, with a dazed expression until her vision became normal again.

"Daddy" she said in a husky voice when she recognized her father's face. Her gaze went up to Kagome's and a smile came up to her face.

"Momma," Shiori said, she carefully tried to get up, but suddenly the pain in her shoulder shot out.

"Runt, be careful," Inuyasha whispered, carefully helping the little injure girl to a sitting position.

"Daddy?" she said, enjoying being able to say the word daddy again.

"I'm here runt," Inuyasha whispered as he patted her head. At that moment, Shippo began to stir and opened his eyes to see Kagome's face. "Mommy?" he asked as if he was hardly daring to believe it.

"Shippo," Kagome said, as she put her arms around his neck gently without hurting him. Shippo hugged her back as best he could.

"I'm so glad to see you mommy," he said in a whisper.

"Shiori what where you doing in that well?" Inuyasha asked, clearly wanting an answer. Kagome raised her head and demanded the same thing from Shippo. They both looked down as if a shame.

"We wanted to…" began Shippo.

"That was dangerous kids, you were seriously hurt because of that. If you two were down there any longer then you could've possibly…" he couldn't even finish as Kagome put her head in her hands.

"Don't be mad at Shiori," begged Shippo. "I was the one who left the school in the first place. But I was just going to the well to make a wish and then come straight back I swear!"

"Don't be mad at Shippo," Shiori cut in. "I should've tried to talk him out of it, but I didn't. I'm sorry daddy…" she looked at Kagome, "Sorry mommy. We just wanted to throw a coin in the well and make a wish."

"Why were you two in the well?" Inuyasha questioned.

"I was leaning over the side to look at the coin…" said Shippo. "And the next thing I know… we're in the well."

"Shippo, that wood was completely rotten," Kagome said.

"Now she tells me," he said in a tone that clearly said, 'I wish you told me that sooner'.

"But I don't understand," Kagome said thoughtfully, "Why did you two want to make a wish so bad?"

"Yeah, what was so important that you guys ended up risking your lives?" Inuyasha asked.

"We wanted the well to grant us our deepest wish," Shiori said as she looked at Kagome and then at Shippo who was nodding.

"What was your wish?" both parents asked.

"We can't tell you, until after it happens," said Shippo as if it was obvious.

"If you tell a wish, then it won't come true," agreed Shiori. Inuyasha shook his head.

"Shiori, you and Shippo did that stupid stunt just to get a wish," Shiori looked down again in shame, tears starting to form.

"I'm sorry daddy," she said with a sniffle.

"Shippo," said Kagome. "Why didn't you ask me or Inuyasha to take you there?" Kagome asked.

Shippo lowered his head. "I wanted to make that wish more than anything. And I just didn't want to wait." He looked up at them all and said, "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

"Yes and no," Kagome said, stroking her son's head. "I think that we're all to blame here. It's not just one person's fault." She looked at Shippo, over to Shiori, and finally at Inuyasha.

"But…" she said as her eyes stopped at Inuyasha.

"But?" Shiori and Shippo echoed.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done. But we're all together again and we should learn from it." The kids smiled and nodded. Inuyasha also smiled at her which Kagome felt her insides melt from happiness.

"Okay," Inuyasha said. "Besides, I think that you two have suffered enough and don't need to be punished any further."

"Daddy?" Shiori asked hopefully. "When me and Shippo are all better can we all go to Disney World? Please?"

Shippo sat up at that, wincing at his broken ribs but said happily, "Yeah can we? Uncle Sota says that if you're planning on going to Disney world, you can say whatever you want to the employee's and they have to be nice to you."

"Shippo," said Kagome in disapproval. "I swear that brother of mine is a bad influence on you." She looked at Inuyasha who looked dismal at the idea of going to Disney World, and she said, "I don't know kids. It's a lot of planning and…"

"Please?" they both begged with puppy dog eyes. Inuyasha shook his head, trying to resist their cuteness… but then smiled… a true genuine smile. He glanced back at Kagome, who was still undecided.

Kagome stared into his eyes, not sure what to say. Inuyasha then reached over and took her hand, not noticing the astonished looks on their children's faces. "Hey, if you say yes," Inuyasha said to Kagome, "Then I _sure_ will say yes."

Kagome stared into his golden eyes that were radiating with love… the eyes that she loved with all her heart… and she couldn't help but give him a wide smile.

"Yes," she answered so softly to him that it came out in little more than a whisper. And quite forgetting about the children in the room, she leaned towards him, with her eyes closing.

And Inuyasha was only too happy to respond the only way he knew how. He leaned in and closed the distance between them with a kiss.

Shippo and Shiori's jaws drop as their parents kissed. And, for a moment, it looked like their eyes were going to pop out of their heads. They stared at each other with stunned looks on their faces, before identical grins appeared in their places.

"Ooooo," said Shiori whose heart felt like it was filling up with happiness. Kagome and Inuyasha broke apart, and grinned at her with raised eyebrows.

"Who asked you?" said Kagome in a mock scolding tone.

"That was fast," said Shippo in incredulity.

Inuyasha looked at him confused, "What was fast?"

"Oh, nothing," said Shippo sweetly but he was secretly thinking, _'Boy, that well really does grant wishes!'_

Blushing, Kagome and Inuyasha looked away, before anyone spoke again.

"Alright," said Inuyasha. "Next summer… we'll all go to Disney World." He looked at Kagome before continuing, "We'll all go together."

Kagome put her head down in embarrassment, before nodding, "Yeah. Next summer… we'll all go."

The kids both nodded before they stiffed yawns and lay down. But as they went to sleep, they both were still grinning from ear to ear.

As Shippo and Shiori shut their eyes, they dreamt of what they would do next summer… but also dreaming that their wish will come true by then. They dreamt of a wedding… and them all going to Disney World for the honeymoon.

**(Guess what? Sota and Kagome's father will be making an appearance very soon! But Kagome's dad needs a name. Any good ideas?)**


	20. You said WHAT to Dad?

**Chapter 20: You said WHAT to Dad?**

"YOU DID WHAT?" screamed Kagome into her phone in horror. Kagome was in her house, in the kitchen while getting ready to take Shippo to the park. She had been looking forward to this all week because they were going to meet Inuyasha and Shiori.

Just then, her phone rang.

She had been talking with her brother Sota for the last half hour and he just dropped a bombshell on her when he gave her some 'big news.'

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Kagome demanded. "Really Sota, you've done some stupid things in the past, but this one takes the cake.

_'Look,'_ said Sota over the phone. _'I know how much this guy you're seeing means to you. And I just thought I help you out.'_

"Help me out?" repeated Kagome in disbelief, "You lied to dad! You told our father that…"

_'Listen!'_ Sota cut in, _'You know as well as I do, what father's like! I just wanted him to like your new boyfriend.'_

"SOTA!" shrieked Kagome.

_'Doesn't matter,'_ Sota said calmly. _'Dad's coming this weekend and nothing we say will change that. Besides, I want to meet your new man too.'_

"He's not my…" Kagome began but he already hung up. Kagome lowered her phone from her ear to stare at it.

"Honestly," she said to herself putting her face in her hands. "I can't believe him sometimes."

"Mom?" said Shippo's voice as he came down the stairs. It had been 3 weeks since he and Shiori were allowed to come home from the hospital, and they were almost completely healed.

"Mommy was that uncle Sota?" he asked innocently.

Kagome gave him a forced smile before answering, "Yes, that was uncle Sota." Although, he secretly thought to herself, _'And I'm going to kill him the next time I see him.'_

"And guess what? Grandpa's coming for a visit this weekend," she said suddenly.

Shippo stared wide-eye before giving a loud excited cry and jumping around the room. "Grandpa's coming? Yes! Yes! Yes!" Kagome couldn't help but smile at his reaction; Shippo loved her father almost as much as she did.

Shippo finally stopped jumping to look at Kagome and asked, "Is grandpa gonna meet Daddy and Shiori?"

"Ah…" said Kagome, wondering if she should tell him what Sota did… she decided not to. "Oh, yes. The reason grandpa's coming… is so he could meet Inuyasha and Shiori. And Sota's girlfriend Hitomi." As she spoke, Kagome felt her eye twitching, something Shippo noticed.

"Mommy? What's wrong with your eye?"

"Nothing sweetie," Kagome said. "Mommy's just a little angry at uncle Sota."

"Why?" Shippo asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about honey," Kagome said quickly. She then reached for her coat hanging by the door and said, "Come on. If we don't hurry, they'll be wondering where the heck we are."

_*The park*_

Inuyasha and Shiori were already there waiting for them. As soon as Shippo saw her, he went running ahead to meet them. Shiori, who was making a daisy chain, looked up and waved one of her daisies at him and screaming hello.

Kagome smiled, almost forgetting about her brother, when she saw Inuyasha coming over to meet her.

"Hey," he said as he gave her a quick kiss, causing both kids to smile even wider. Inuyasha turned away from Kagome to ask them, "Hey! Wouldn't you rather be playing? If not…" he didn't even need to finish because they both went running towards the swing set.

While they played, Kagome took Inuyasha's hand and they began to walk around the playground. Far enough so that no one could hear them, but close enough to keep close watch on the kids.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said quietly as she watched the kids playing.

"What's the matter Kagome?" Inuyasha asked worriedly noticing the forlorn expression on her face. "You don't seem like yourself today."

"No, I'm not," she said with a dry laugh.

"Well?" Inuyasha pressed on, "What's the matter?"

Kagome was quiet for a moment before she said, "It's my brother."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, although still confused, "Brother's can be the worst. I got an older brother and he can be the biggest pain in the…"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said warningly.

"My point is, I understand that brother's do some stupid things."

"Well my little brother just pulled the granddaddy of all stupid things on our father," Kagome said shaking her head.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and said, "It couldn't have been that bad."

"You're right," Kagome said upset. "It was worse."

"Well what did he do?" demanded Inuyasha.

Kagome sighed, "I guess you need to know. I mean, you're going to find out sooner or later." She was quiet for a minute before saying, "My father's coming this weekend."

Inuyasha wasn't expecting that. "Well," he said with a small chuckle, "That's not so bad. They way you were talking about him… I thought that maybe he broke the law or something."

"No," Kagome said laughing forebodingly. "But he's going to pay for lying to dad."

"He lied?" Inuyasha said, wondering what on earth could be that bad.

"My brother Sota…" said Kagome in disapproval, "Told our father, that he and the girl he's been dating for a long time now are engaged. When, in reality, they aren't."

Inuyasha stared at her, before starting to laugh. "Why did he do that?" he demanded as his laughter subsided.

"I have no idea," said Kagome grinning. "Thing is, Hitomi… his girlfriend," she said quickly and he nodded, "She has no idea that this is happening, and my dad is coming this weekend to see his 'daughter-in-law'.

Inuyasha started to laugh again, he couldn't help himself. "That's going to be a shock when he tells her."

"That's not all," said Kagome darkly. "Sota also told dad something else."

Still on the verge of laughing, Inuyasha asked what.

"Well… you see… I told him all about you and Shiori," Kagome said a little vaguely, "And…" she gave a small laugh, "I still can't believe he did this. He told dad that you and I are getting married and now dad wants to meet you."

Inuyasha stopped laughing instantly. "Your brother did what?" he cried.

Kagome shook her head, before repeating, "He told dad that you and I are getting married and now dad wants to meet you and Shiori. Sota already has things planned out. We're all going to this restaurant before going over to his house for a little get together and dad can meet the future 'in-laws'."

Inuyasha stopped walking and stared, "No offense, but is your brother on drugs or just insane?"

"No offense taken," said Kagome shrugging. "I know he doesn't do drugs… not sure about the insane part. Most likely, since he pulled this on dad."

They both stared walking again, with Inuyasha looking straight ahead at him thinking about what she just said. Him and Kagome getting married? If he had to be honest with himself… he liked that idea. But meeting with her father about this? He wasn't so sure.

"Is there now way out of this?" he asked.

"None," sighed Kagome.

Inuyasha stopped again and turned to face Kagome with his hands on her shoulders. "OK," he said.

Kagome's jaw dropped. Did she just hear him say OK?

"Ok," said Inuyasha. "Me and Shiori are going to meet you dad this weekend… under one condition."

Kagome shut her eyes and smiled. "I knew there would be a catch." She opened her eyes again to look at him, full in the face and asked, "Fine… what's the condition?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Next weekend… you have to meet MY family."

Kagome's eyes got as big as dinner plates. At first she thought that he was joking but then she saw the dead serious look in his eyes. "Ah… you're serious?" she asked, needing to know.

"Fairs, fair?" he said grinning.

Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I don't believe this."

"Why not?" he asked. "Me and Shiori meet your brother, his 'Fiancé'," he smirked at that, "and your father this weekend. And next weekend you and Shippo meet my mother, dad, brother and my sister-in-law."

Laughing and sobbing at the same time, she raised her head to look him in the eyes and asked, "You really are serious?"

He started to laugh at the look on her face. "Yes. I'm dead serious. Shiori told my mother all about her new 'Mommy' and 'Brother'; and she's just been dying to meet you. Besides, I promised her that I would bring you over soon. This works out perfectly don't you think? And this way… I can find out what's going on in your brother's head."

Kagome chuckled as she put her arms around his neck as he held her close. Kagome was only vaguely aware of Shippo and Shiori watching them with grins as big as the Cheshire Cat's.

Inuyasha suddenly asked, "So… is there anything I should know about your old man when he comes?"

Kagome looked at his face and said very seriously, "I'll tell you… if you tell me what to do when we go to your parents house."

Inuyasha pretended to think it over before grinning, "Sounds fair." He then leaned down and planted a chaste kiss that Kagome met half-way.

**(Thank you for all the names suggestions for Kagome's father. He's gonna make an appearance in the next chapter. Along with bum bum bum... Sesshomaru! But now I need name suggestions for Kagome's mother. Also... Sesshomaru and Rin are going to have a baby... not sure what gender yet... (cough) boy (cough). But i need some name suggestions for the baby once he's born! Thank you for all the reviews, and i hope that you will continue to enjoy this story!) Sorry, i realized i made a big mistake in the last verison of this chapter.**


	21. Meeting the Family

**I would like to thank every single person who gave me name suggestions! It was a long and hard choice but I was finally able to decide on a name for Kagome's and Sota's father! Thank you all again, and I'm going to try to put the names I haven't used into this story as well so don't feel bad. Thank you for all the reviews also... the more of those i get, the faster i can put up chapters! Please enjoy...**

**Chapter 21: Meeting the Family**

"Getting nervous yet?" Kagome asked as she drove to the airport with Inuyasha in the passenger's seat, and the two kids in the back playing some games.

"Keh," was his usual replay, but Kagome could detect the anxiety. So when they reached a red light, Kagome took his hand and squeezed it for a moment before giving him a reassuring smile.

"It's going to be fine," she said, trying to convince herself more than Inuyasha. "Just remember what I told you about him?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Inuyasha.

_*Flashback*_

_Kagome and Inuyasha were seating together on a park bench as they watched Shippo and Shiori play on the jungle gym._

_"You're father's the over-protective type?" he asked, sounding more calm than he felt._

_Kagome snorted, "More like the way, WAY over-protective type." She shook her head, "I think that HE thinks that no one's good enough to marry me."_

_Inuyasha raised his eyebrows in surprise. "But he approved of that Hojo … sorry Hobo?"_

_Kagome clasped her hands tightly in her lap, wondering if she should tell him the truth. She opened her mouth, changed her mind and said instead, "Let's just say that things were different back then."_

_He only tilted his head to the side like a puppy__. "What do you mean by…" he began, but Kagome cut him off._

_"I rather not talk about it right now," she said. Inuyasha then saw the sad look in her eyes and decided to let this drop… for now. _

_Kagome smiled as she took Inuyasha clawed hand and said, "Don't worry. My dad's really protective, but once he gets to know someone, he's great! I know you two are going to get along great… ah…" she hesitated for a second before saying, "At least I hope so."_

_Inuyasha looked at her for a moment before saying, "He really means a lot to you doesn't he?"_

_Kagome nodded. "My mother died when I was little. I really don't remember her all that well, but I remember she was really nice. And when she died… it broke my father's heart." She sighed as she looked at Inuyasha sad expression. "Ever since… I guess… he's just been worried about losing me and my brother. He's always wanted to keep us close."_

_Inuyasha put his head down before he mumbled, "I'm sorry."_

_Kagome shook her head, "No don't be. Really it's alright. I still miss my mom… but dad's been great. Really, he's the best father you could ask for."_

_She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he in turn laid his cheek on top of her head. "But still…" she went on, "It would mean a lot to me if you two got along."_

_*End of Flashback*_

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. He was petrified about meeting her family… he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so nervous. But he could see how much her father's approval meant to Kagome… and he didn't want to make her choose between him and her dad.

"Kids?" Kagome called at the laughing children, who were playing a game. Not really sure what the point was… they were both speaking backwards… literally.

"Sey?" Shippo called.

"We're at the airport," she said laughing at their game.

"Yllear?" asked Shiori, "Ho, yob."

Inuyasha let out a sigh before saying, "You think you two can talk straight again?"

"Yhw?" asked Shiori.

"Because it's getting annoying," he said rubbing his temples.

"Tub s'ti nuf," pouted Shippo.

"You can play later," said Kagome as she parked and unlocked the doors. "We're gonna see grandpa!"

"Apdnarg!" screamed Shippo who was then given a warning shot from Inuyasha. "Ah… I mean grandpa!"

_*Inside the airport*_

Kagome was holding Shippo's hand as she led the way through the crowded airport and over to where she spotted her brother and his girlfriend Hitomi. As they came closer, she noticed that her brother looked both happy and forlorn about something…

Kagome was curious for a moment… that is until she saw the angry look on Hitomi.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Of course, Sota HAD to tell Hitomi what he did. And of course, she was going to be pretty pissed off at him. She grinned as she waved at Hitomi before she started to glare at Sota too.

"Hitomi," said Kagome as she gave her a quick hug. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too," said Hitomi softly. She was so sweet and cute with her short, wavy brown hair and a soft heart-shaped face with that gentle smile. Although Kagome saw that she gave Sota an annoyed look before smiling down at Shippo.

Inuyasha and Shiori came over while they were talking and Hitomi noticed Shiori.

"Ooooohhhhhh," said Hitomi in a cooing voice, "She's so cute!"

Shiori blushed before looking down at her feet and said a quiet 'thank you'. Inuyasha glanced over Hitomi to the young man that had to be Kagome's brother. He had Kagome's same brown eyes and dark raven hair… yep he had to be Sota.

Sota gave his sister a quick hug, but he gave Inuyasha a strange look from over Kagome's shoulder. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows, almost in a challenging way, as if daring him to say something. Kagome pulled back to make the introductions, "Sota? Hitomi? This is Inuyasha and his daughter Shiori… Inuyasha? This is my little brother Sota and his girlfriend Hitomi."

"Nice to meet you," said Hitomi politely but she continued to give Sota irritated looks every now and again. "But, Sota's very lucky that I haven't decided to become his ex-girlfriend."

Sota looked down at the floor and gave a look of shame.

"Ex-girlfriend?" said Shiori confused.

"Why are you guys angry at uncle Sota?" asked Shippo in interest.

The adults gave them reassuring smiles before all saying it's nothing to worry about. They all agreed that it was for the best if the kids didn't know what Sota did. To distract them, Kagome pointed towards a snack bar a little ways away, "Why don't we go and get something to eat? I'm sure you kids are starving after that long car ride."

Shippo and Shiori both let out excited cries as they took off. Kagome grinned as she and Hitomi followed them; leaving they boys alone to talk. Sota looked at Inuyasha for a moment before holding out his hand and said, "So you're Inuyasha? I have to say that it's nice to finally meet you. Kagome normally never shuts up about you or Shiori."

Inuyasha's face went red slightly at the thought of Kagome telling her brother all about him; he took Sota's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too," he said, "But I have to ask you something important."

Sota tilled his head slightly, "What?"

Inuyasha looked at Sota long and hard before asking, "Are you on drugs or just insane? I've been wondering that what was going through your head when you told your dad that me and Kagome are engaged? You mind telling me what you were thinking?"

Sota blinked before giving a dry laugh, "Sorry, but I had too."

"Had too?" echoed Inuyasha in disbelief.

"Listen!" said Sota quickly, "You don't know my dad, he's hated every single girl that I ever dated! And he's hated every single guy that ever looked twice at Kagome." He looked at Shippo and the girls at the snack bar for a minute before continuing, "Hitomi is very special to me and I just want him to like her that's all."

Sota then let out a sad sigh, "I'll tell him the truth, but I want to make sure that he really likes her before I do."

Inuyasha thought that over for a minute before saying, "I guess I can understand that. But that doesn't explain why you told you dad that me and Kagome are getting married."

"Because," said Sota running a hand through his hair, "I've never seen Kagome act this way with any other boy. You and Shiori really mean a lot, not only to Shippo, but to her as well."

Inuyasha's face went even redder. "But I still don't…" he began.

"She really cares a lot about you," said Sota as if it were obvious. "And I know how much it would mean to her if dad likes you. Don't worry, once I'm sure that dad likes you and Hitomi, I'll tell him the truth. Hopefully, he'll understand."

Inuyasha stared at him. "Ok," he said slowly, "I'm sure that you don't take drugs, but I'm still sure that you're crazy."

Sota laughed, "Oh, I'm not crazy. My reality is just different than yours."

_*10 Minutes later*_

Kagome and Sota's dad would be arriving any moment now, and Inuyasha was becoming more and more jumpy.

"Are you nervous?" Kagome looking at Inuyasha right next to her with the kids both eating some ice-cream cones at their feet; with Sota and Hitomi sitting across from them.

Inuyasha only nodded, not looking up from the ground.

"Don't be," she said taking his hand again. "Dad is a nice guy. Ah, once you get to know him after all."

Inuyasha could only nod again, although her words didn't bring much comfort to him. He didn't move, just sat there. She sighed and came to sit of the floor with him. He was warm and comfy. "You shouldn't worry. Dad isn't going to interrogate you or anything."

"I know."

"Then why are you so nervous?"

"You have to meet my family next weekend. How would you feel?" he said rather coldly.

Kagome gave him a dark look before saying, "That's unfair." She then shook her head, "Oh well, I'll worry about that later. And you don't need to worry about my dad though! He's nice, and you're likable, there's no way he'd be disappointed."

At this Inuyasha smiled.

Just then people started to flood the floor. Inuyasha suddenly tensed up again; he just knew that their dad was here. Dozens of people were coming out, with the speaker's overhead, saying them that they hoped that they had enjoyed their flight. Inuyasha watched as men, women, and children all came pouring out… but there was one man in particular that caught his eye…

He was a very tall and, despite his age, was very handsome. He had long dark hair that was streaked with grey and tied back in a low ponytail. He wore the conventional shrine clothing and held a blue suitcase in one hand. He had a kind face, and wore simple glasses that gave him an intelligent look… but he seemed to give off a strange power…

… it was the kind of power that you didn't want to mess with.

When Sota spotted the man, he suddenly got up and walked quickly over to him and was gave him a brief hug. Kagome then noticed that the man was here and she too got up with Shippo and went over to join them. Gulping, Inuyasha stood up and waited behind with Shiori and Hitomi, knowing that this was their father.

He watched them talk for a minute before the man put down his bag, and lifted Shippo up into his arms, which caused Shippo to start laughing and to put his arms around the man's neck. The man laughed with him as he gave Kagome a brief one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek.

When they pulled away, Kagome looked over at where he was standing before she nervously led them back towards them. Inuyasha smiled, despite his anxiety.

As they got nearer, he could hear what they were saying.

"Oh it's so good to see you again dad, I've missed you," Sota beamed.

"It's good to see you kids again," their father said in a tired but deep voice. "Even if it's only for a little while."

"It's good to see you too day," Kagome said quietly her face buried in his shoulder, he smelt of old spices, and that strange elderly people smell; she missed it. "I've missed you so much."

Their father held her closed before he turned his attention to his grandson and asked, "I hope you haven't been a burden on your poor mother."

Shippo giggled and said that he had been good as he was put down again. As soon as he touched the floor he went over to Shiori and brought her over to his grandfather's feet. "Grandpa?" he said as Shiori hid behind him shyly. "This is my sister Shiori."

Grandpa raised his eyebrows as he looked at the little girl. He then looked at Kagome who mouthed, _'I'll explain later'_ before he got down on his knees and held out his hand to Shiori. "Shiori?" he said gently and Shiori stuck her head out from behind Shippo to look at him. He gave her a kind smile and said, "I'm so glad to meet you. And since you're Shippo's sister I want you to call me grandpa ok?"

Shiori relaxed a little bit as she slowly out from behind Shippo and took his outstretched hand. She smiled when the man gave her a bigger smile.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and thought, _'So far, so good.'_

"Dad?" she said almost hesitantly. "This is Inuyasha, and Hitomi."

Inuyasha and Hitomi both came forward as she said this. Kagome gave them both an encouraging smile before putting her arm around Inuyasha in a friendly gesture.

Their dad looked at them with an unemotional look. Not angry, not sad, but not happy or pleased either. He was the type of person you would never want to play poker with. "Nice to meet you," he replied calmly. "I'm Hayato Higurashi. I've heard about you two from Sota here, and I just had to meet you both in person."

The three of them gave Sota dark looks before Sota then said quickly, "Alright! Why don't we all go over to my house now! Dad I'm sure you're tired, and we have a lot of catching up to do. We'll all talk about where to eat for dinner later. And in no time at all, they were out of the airport and heading towards the cars.

Inuyasha walked behind them for a while until they reached the parking lot. While Sota helped their father into the backseat of his car, Inuyasha turned to Kagome and asked quietly, "How am I doing?"

Kagome gave him small smile before saying, "That could've been worse. I think that we just might be able to pull this off."


	22. What Tests?

**Chapter 21: What Tests?**

Sota, Hitomi, and dad got into Sota's car while Kagome, Inuyasha and the two kids got back in Kagome's. It was decided that they would all go to Sota's house and all get to know each other… or in other words, try to win dad over.

The ride was quiet in Kagome's car. For some reason, no one seemed to be able to speak. Finally, Kagome couldn't take the quiet anymore and she asked, "So… what do you think?"

Inuyasha looked at her, "You mean with your dad?"

Kagome shot him an annoyed look, as if to say 'of course you idiot.'

"I like him," said Shiori from the back seat. "He's really nice."

Kagome grinned, "I'm not surprised… dad always loved kids. And you know Shiori? I think he likes you too."

_'Which means that we're half-way there,'_ Kagome thought to herself.

Shiori blushed slightly before saying kinda sadly, "I don't think he likes daddy much though." Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat before Kagome took his hand and squeezed it for a brief moment.

"Don't take it personally," said Kagome, "My dad hated ever single guy I ever met. I actually thought that it went pretty well back there. At least he hasn't started the tests yet."

Inuyasha snapped his head around at her, "Tests? What tests?"

Kagome shook her head as if trying to get rid of a fly. "I don't know what he does, but he puts every guy that I dated through these _'tests'_ to see if any are suitable for dating me."

Inuyasha didn't like the sound of that. Not just the tests, but the idea that Kagome had dated other men.

"Did you have a lot of friends that went through these tests mommy?" asked Shiori curiously.

Kagome gave a small chuckle. "I dated two or three. But… it didn't last long because they were terrified of my father when they failed his tests."

While Shippo and Shiori laughed, Inuyasha gulped. If she was right, then her dad was going to give him a rough time… damn…

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said, trying to sound calm, "Why didn't you warn me about this sooner?"

"Because the last guy I told in advance ended up failing in record time," Kagome replied. "I don't know what these tests are, but its best if you don't know when dad's going to spring them on you." She gave him another reassuring smile, "Don't worry. Just be patient around him. I'm sure that he'll like you."

_*Sota's house*_

After another half hour of driving, they finally pulled up to a large brick house with an even larger yard complete with basketball hoop and soccer nets.

"Wow!" said Shippo as he leapt out of the car and ran to the nets. "Uncle Sota?" he called when Sota pulled up and got out of the car. "Can we play soccer?" he called excitedly.

"Shippo!" Kagome said as she walked over to him. "Don't you want to visit with grandpa a little first? He's only going to be here for the weekend after all."

Shippo blushed and rubbed the back of his head, "Oops, sorry. I forgot." Kagome laughed slightly as she picked him up and walked over to her father who, just got out of the car.

"I have to say," Hayato said to Sota, "This is a nice house."

"Thanks dad," said Sota as he picked up his back and escorted them into the house. After a short time, the adults were all sitting in the living room with the kids upstairs watching TV.

"So as I was saying," said Sota as they were all enjoying a few snacks that he had prepared earlier. "You look great, dad" Sota beamed, one would think his face might fall off with such a huge grin.

Dad shrugged, "I've been getting along. It's been kinda lonely with you kids gone."

"Ah…" said Kagome putting her hand on top of his. "I think I might just cry," she said in a mocking, but kind voice. He let out a laugh as he put his arm around her shoulders before looking at Inuyasha.

"So… Inuyasha," he said calmly and coolly. "Just what do you do for a living? And where do you and your daughter live?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. He glanced over at Kagome who gave him a heartening smile and he said, "Umm… I own a dojo and I teach kids self-defense and martial arts. Me and Shiori live just a little uptown from here."

Dad nodded with a slightly impressed look on his face, and Inuyasha felt his confidence and hope rise.

"I see. And tell me," he then said with curiosity, "How did you and Kagome meet?"

This is where Kagome stepped in, she leaned back to look at her father. "We first met in the park dad." She was going to tell him about how she helped him with Shiori but decided against it; she didn't want her dad to think that Inuyasha was an irresponsible parent. "We didn't meet again until he enrolled Shiori into school."

"Ah," her dad is in interest. "So you're her teacher?"

"Yes," she answered, "And she's a wonderful student."

He nodded, "I bet she is. She reminds me a lot of you when you were her age. She's a sweet thing."

Kagome gave him a bright smile and was joined by Inuyasha who also smiled proudly.

"In fact," dad said, "Why don't you and Hitomi take Shippo and Shiori out to the toy store or something right now?"

"WHAT?" they all cried out in shock. No one saw that one coming.

"Why not?" dad said as he leaned back comfortably on the couch. "I think that they'd enjoy it. Besides, I think that it would be nice to get to know my soon to be son-in-law. Sota? I heard that you still need to finish your homework. I think you should stay behind too. You'll never finish college this way."

There was an awkward silence after this. No one dared to speak or move as dad sipped his drink calmly as if nothing had happened. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, who was looking at Sota, who was looking at dad with a startled expression. They were all wondering what to do when Shippo and Shiori both came down the stairs saying that they just saw a whole bunch of animals on the TV and were wondering if they could go to the zoo sometime.

"Well," said dad before anyone else could speak up, "Talk about a coincide. Your mommy was just saying that she and Hitomi would be taking you and Shiori to the zoo today."

"Hey wait a…" began Kagome but was interrupted by the squeals of joy from Shiori and Shippo. Shiori ran towards Kagome and hugged her before crying out, "Thank you mommy!"

Kagome's father raised his eyebrows before asking Kagome, "Mommy?"

Kagome blushed before saying, "It's kinda a long story dad."

"Oh, no matter," said dad as he waved his hand away. "I'm sure that Inuyasha will be more than willing to tell me about it while you're all gone." He then gave Inuyasha a calculating look that caused Inuyasha to gulp.

"Ah dad…" Kagome began hesitantly.

Her dad stood up and began to walk around the room, "Oh, don't worry," he said cheerfully, "I'm sure that we'll do just fine."

Shippo and Shiori both were jumping around in happiness and went running off to go and get their shoes. "I wanna see lions, and tigers, and some bears!" yelled Shippo in joy.

"Oh, my," said Kagome to herself. She glanced at Inuyasha who looked like he would rather be at the dentist than alone with her father.

"It's ok," said Inuyasha although he said with the air of a man with a death sentence.

Kagome stared at him in surprise for a moment before saying, "Inuyasha…"

"That's the spirit," her father said finishing his drink. "I'll work out great! Kagome? You and Hitomi can both do some shopping, the kids will be having a blast, Sota will get his homework done, and I'm sure that Inuyasha and I will be able to get to know each other better."

Inuyasha gulped again before heading into the kitchen to say goodbye to Shiori and to tell her to behave herself.

"Ok daddy," she said happily. "You sure that you don't want to come with us?"

Inuyasha chuckled darkly before saying, "I wish I could Runt. But I don't think that 'grandpa' will want me out of his sight right now."

Shiori tilted her head in confusion. "Why? Grandpa's real nice."

"Yes well," said Kagome who was standing in the doorway with Hitomi, "My dad wants to get to know your dad a little better, that's all Shiori."

"Oh," said Shiori before she and Shippo went running out to wait by the car.

"Hurry up mommy!" Shippo cried. Hitomi nodded to Kagome before she followed the children; but as she passed Inuyasha, she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Good luck. Something tells me that you're going to need it."

"Thanks," said Inuyasha bitterly as she left, leaving him and Kagome alone.

"I'm so sorry about this," said Kagome as she walked forward to embrace him. "He always pulls stunts like this. He gives those tests while I'm not around." She stepped back to look at his anxious face and said, "Just be patient with him. Sometimes he can be a bit… ah…"

"Sometimes there's no pleasing that man," said Sota who just appeared. He walked out of the house to say goodbye to Hitomi. "He's in the guest room," he said as he walked by the two lovebirds. "But I think that you guys might want to hurry before he comes back."

Kagome glanced again at Inuyasha and asked, "You think that you'll be alright?"

"Aside from the fact that I feel like I'm volunteering to walk into the lion's den… just great," he said in an acid tone.

Kagome put her hand on his cheek and stroked it lovingly, "Don't worry. I'll make it up to you." She then gave him a quick kiss before following everyone else outside. Inuyasha glanced after her, wishing that he could go with them.

"She's something else isn't she?" said another voice, startling him.

Inuyasha turned to see Kagome's father leaning on the doorframe, watching him. Inuyasha blushed when he realized that he must've watched the kiss just a moment ago.

"Yeah," he said turning away from him and watching Sota walk back into the house. Once he stepped inside he said, "They left. They said that they'll be back in a few hours."

"Excellent!" Hayato cried out. "So while you're getting back to your work, me and Inuyasha will be more than happy to do some extra chores around here!"

"What?" cried Inuyasha.

_*Later*_

Sota asked them if they could handle moving some heavy boxes from the basement to the garage. Dad said that he couldn't lift heavy boxes as well as he used to, but he was sure that Inuyasha would be happy to.

Grumbling, Inuyasha went downstairs, and was able to carry 10 boxes out in no time.

"Don't bother to help or nothing," he hissed to Sota who shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry," he hissed back, "But dad's making me work on several reports that are due next week."

"Oh, nice excuse," Inuyasha whispered back.

Unbeknownst to them, Hayato Higurashi was watching them both very closely.

_*Later*_

Turns out that Hayato Higurashi is a doctor and he had shared every boring fact about his profession, to Inuyasha. Inuyasha had tried to cut in and change the subject, but Hayato didn't stop, he kept talking, he wanted to finish what he was saying. And Inuyasha just had to sit there and take it; Hayato was like a 'word vampire.' He was just sucking out Inuyasha energy.

Inuyasha was wishing that someone would put him out of his misery. His eyes wouldn't stay open and they just wanted to go sleep. He had to stay awake, though, he had too.

"… and that's how you deal with DNA testing." Hayato finished up his 2 hour long tale and go up from his chair. "Well, what do you think Mr. Takashi?"

_*Still Later*_

"It's almost dinner time," Hayato said as he looked through the cupboards, trying to figure out something to make. "I'm sure that Kagome and the others will be exhausted when they get back."

_'They'll be exhausted?'_ thought Inuyasha exasperatedly.

Hayato was killing him. His constant remarks and dark glances were making him wish he would just be strike by lightening or something. Unfortunately, that's not how things work in the real world; what does is that your girlfriend's father can be a cruel thing without trying.

Inuyasha bit his lip and continued to listen to Hayato talk on.

_*Much Later*_

Kagome and Sota's father was forcing him to start making food. Inuyasha was chopping some vegetables, with dear old dad glaring at him.

"Do you have to stare?" Inuyasha said, trying to be patient, but his temper was rising fast.

"You got a problem with me kid?" he asked coolly.

_'Oh, I really don't like him,'_ thought Inuyasha angerly.

"No, you're just starting to make tick me off," he snapped back.

_*So Much Later*_

"There's no pleasing that man!" Inuyasha practically screamed at Sota. Hayato had finally had given him a break when dinner was almost ready.

Inuyasha was upstairs in Sota's study and was complaining without worrying about who was listening, "Now I know where Kagome got her stubbornness… her father."

"Don't take it personally," said Sota, not looking up from his laptop. "Dad's like that with everyone that comes near us."

"I swear," said Inuyasha menacingly, "If all fathers were like that, then there would be less marriages in the world."

"Maybe that's a good thing," said Sota softly.

Inuyasha snapped his attention to him in amazement.

"I'm just saying…" Sota continued, "That when you rush into marriage, it rarely works out. I mean, look at my sister…"

Inuyasha couldn't think of anything to say to that so he just left. He had just decided to head back downstairs when he heard a soft sigh from the room up ahead. He paused over by the half-open down to see Hayato standing with his back to him as he looked down into his open bag. Inuyasha was just about to try to sneak away before he was noticed when Hayato turned around.

"Oh, Inuyasha," he said calmly. "I thought that you were Sota."

"Keh, you wish," Inuyasha said in spite of himself.

Hayato grimaced as he looked down at a small framed picture in his hands.

"What's that?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"Hmm?" Hayato said looking back up. "Just a picture. You want to see it? Something tells me that you might want to?"

Inuyasha could've just said no, and go back downstairs, but something compelled him to walk to Hayato and look at what he was holding. Hayato handed it to him without saying a word.

In the picture, Hayato looked younger and he had his one arm on the shoulder of a little girl standing in front of him, and the other wrapped around the waist of a young and beautiful woman who was holding a baby.

"Is this…" began Inuyasha.

"Yeah," Hayato said as he handed the picture over to him. Inuyasha looked at the happy family in the photo, and realized that Kagome looked a lot like Shiori when she was little—except for the white hair and violet eyes that is. Looking at the family, Inuyasha also noticed that Kagome looked a lot like her father did, and Sota look nearly identical to the woman's face in the picture.

"That's my wife Aika," Hayato said sadly. "This was taken just after Sota was born. Kagome had just turned 5 years old and we just got back from the hospital. Aika wanted to take a picture as a memento I guess."

"I see," said Inuyasha quietly as he continued to stare, "Kagome looks like you."

Hayato laughed, "That is what they say isn't it? Guys look like their moms, and girls end up looking like their dads. I guess that it's true. To tell you the truth, sometimes it's hard to look at my kids faces; because Sota's the spitting image of my beloved Aika but Kagome has her eyes."

"You must miss her huh?" Inuyasha asked without thinking.

Hayato let out another sigh as he walked around the room. "She and I were high school sweethearts. As soon as I met her, I fell head-over-heels in love. Sure we argued non-stop, but we just couldn't seem to stay away from each other. After we both finished college, we decided that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and got married. About a year later, Kagome was born." Hayato smiled sadly as he thought about the happy memories.

"I'm sure you can understand the feeling. Of being able to hold your daughter in your arms for the first time…"

Inuyasha smiled as he thought about the first time he saw Shiori. He had been teaching when he got a call from the hospital, saying that Kikyo had gone into labor and given birth to a baby girl. At first, they had to take Shiori into the NICU because Shiori seemed to have trouble breathing, but it turns out that it hadn't been that serious, and the family was released the next day. He could still remember the wonderful feeling of seeing his daughter in his wife's arms… and the beautiful, beaming look on Kikyo's face.

Kikyo had always wanted to be a mother, and now she had it. But their happiness was cut short… a couple months later, Kikyo had died… his heart still ached at the memory.

"It must've been hard when she died," Inuyasha said barely more than a whisper.

"Oh yeah," said Hayato. "In fact, I was so overcome with grief that there was a bad hour that I thought about ending it all just to see her again."

Inuyasha's head snapped up to stare at him in horror. "You were going to…" he couldn't even finish.

"Yes," Hayato said. "I'd been married to the woman I loved more than anything. When Sota was about a year old, Aika died, and I was just shattered. I think that I was stuck in a state of shock for weeks. I don't really remember much between that time." He looked back at Inuyasha before continuing, "I remember my parents coming by to help once in awhile, but I was like the walking dead. It felt as if my heart had been frozen over, and I saw no more reason to live."

"Not even for your kids?" Inuyasha demanded.

Hayato sat on the bed and answered, "I told you… I couldn't think straight anymore. The only thing I could think of was that I would never see my Aika again. One day, I wandered out the house, and down to a bridge… I remember looking down into the water… and for a moment, I thought that I could see Aika's face staring back up at me. All I had to do was lean over the side and I would be with my beloved again. And I was going to do it too… but do you know what stopped me?"

Inuyasha shook his head, unable to stop staring.

"I heard crying behind me," Hayato said. "And when I looked, I saw a father standing there, with his two children. A little girl that looked no older than 10 and a boy that looked to be about 4… I saw them talking as they tried to calm the little boy down who dropped his ice cream cone. As soon as I saw the family together… I realized that if I ended my life… what would happen to my kids? Who would take care of them? Did I really want them to go through the rest of their lives without having a parent? I finally snapped back to reality and I ran home. And when I came through the front door, I found Kagome sleeping on the couch with Sota. As soon as I came in, I guess I woke her up because she opened her eyes and stared at me with such a sad look that I felt my heart break all over again."

Hayato stretched out on the bed before finishing, "I thought that I had been the only one hurting… and I acted selfishly. I never thought about Kagome's feelings and I wasn't there for her when she was in pain. I broke down and started crying. I then hugged her and Sota… promising that I would be there from now on."

He sighed as he looked up at the astonished Inuyasha. "If you don't mind me asking… have you lost your wife? Or are you divorced…?"

Inuyasha put the picture down on the bed, "I lost my wife about 5 years ago."

"I see," said Hayato, "Then you should understand the pain that I went through."

"Yeah," croaked out Inuyasha. They were both silent for a moment before Inuyasha asked, "Does it ever get better?"

Hayato sat up, "To tell you the truth, it's been so long since Aika left this world, that sometimes I forget she's dead. There are some mornings, when I wake up and think that she's still right next to me and I have to sit there for several long minutes before I remember."

He got up and put the picture on the bedside table next to the bed.

"I don't think that the pain ever _'truly'_ goes away. There will always be a small part of us that will love and miss them… but we meet new people along the way… and they help us to heal." He gave Inuyasha a very serious look before asking, "I see that my daughter cares a lot about you. But do you care about her and Shippo as much as I did with Aika?"

Inuyasha blushed, but before he could answer they heard the door opening downstairs and Kagome's voice call up to them, "Dad? Inuyasha? Sota? We're back!"

Inuyasha quickly left the room, wanting to see his daughter now, especially after hearing that story. But he looked back at Hayato and said, "What do you think?"

When he got downstairs, Shiori came running towards him with a big stuffed bat in her arms. "Daddy!" she cried happily. She led up her toy bat and made if flap its wings before saying, "Look what mommy bought for me! Isn't he cute? We saw bats, and pandas, and bears, and boars, and wolves, and…" she went on and on until Inuyasha finally picked her up and said, "Save it for when we get home."

"Inuyasha?" said Kagome's voice. He looked at her coming towards them, looking tired but she smiled as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I wish you could've come," she said, "How'd it go with dad?"

"Think of it this way," said Inuyasha as Shiori giggled at their kiss. "We haven't killed each other… yet."

Kagome's face fell. "It went that bad?" she asked.

"Kagome?" called her father from the top of the stairs. He came in a second later to stand next to them.

"I just have one thing to say to you about this guy," he said to her as he gestured to Inuyasha.

"What is it?" Kagome said dreading the worse.

"I really like this guy," Hayato said simply. It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off.

"What?" Kagome asked, hardly daring to believe she heard right.

"I really like this guy," her father repeated and a stunned Inuyasha was staring at him. "Yeah… he passed the strength test, the endurance test, the patience test, the assertive test, and he has a good heart." He then walked over and put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, "Sorry for being so hard on you."

"Uh, no problem?" said Inuyasha who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"And no need to do the dishes," Hayato said while heading towards the kitchen, "I'll make Sota do them later."

"Ah, dad?" Kagome said stunned, "Are you ok?"


	23. Déjà vu

**Chapter 23: Déjà vu**

"You look fine, Kagome," Inuyasha said as Kagome was fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Inuyasha, I know that I look terrible!" Kagome said frantically. "I can't believe I agreed to this! Why did I let you talk me into this?"

"Your clothes are fine, and we made a deal. It's going to be fine, you look great!"

"Yeah, mommy," said Shippo who was looking out the window excitedly. "You look so pretty!"

Kagome went red before saying, "But what if your parents don't like me?"

Yep… a week had passed since Hayato Higurashi had come and gone. And just like Kagome promised, they were all going over to meet Inuyasha's family. She knew almost nothing about them except that Inuyasha's father, Inutaisho, was a dog demon… his mother, Izayoi, was human… and he had a half-brother named Sesshomaru, who was married to a woman named Rin.

"Grandma said that soon I'm going to have a baby cousin to play with!" Shiori said as if she read Kagome's mind. "I can't wait!"

"But we still don't know if it's going to be a girl or boy," said Inuyasha trying to make conversation.

"Auntie Rin says that it's going to be here soon though!" Shiori cried out, while jumping in her seat.

"Auntie Rin still as almost 2 months to go…" said Inuyasha making a right turn.

Kagome sighed as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, trying not to throw up.

"Is it me or is this Déjà vu?" Inuyasha said sarcastically.

Kagome smirked at him as she remembered the terrified look on Inuyasha's face as they drove to meet her father. She had no idea what happened while she was at the zoo with Hitomi and the kids, but her father approved Inuyasha! That's one for the record books… he was the first man that her father didn't hate!

_*Flashback*_

_It was right after everyone had eaten, Hitomi and Sota were in the living room watching a show, and Shippo and Shiori were both sleeping on the couch. Shiori sleeping with her new stuff fruit-bat and Shippo was using his new stuffed fox for a pillow._

_"I guess the trip to the zoo tuckered them out?" Hayato asked as he talked with Kagome and Inuyasha in the kitchen._

_"Oh yeah," said Kagome. "Wished you guys could've come. I think you would've enjoyed it."_

_Her father waved his hand away and said, "Ah don't worry Kagome. Besides, I think it was a good that I got to know my future son-in-law right?" He took a sip of his coffee while Kagome and Inuyasha cast each other nervous glances. Kagome decided that now was probably a good time to tell her father the truth._

_"Ah dad?" she said a little hesitantly. "I need to tell you something. The truth is Inuyasha and I aren't really…"_

_"You don't need to say it Kagome I already know," said her father as he lowered his coffee cup from his mouth and yawned. He didn't seem to pay too much attention to the startled expressions on their faces._

_"Y-you know?" Kagome said stunned._

_"You honestly think that your father couldn't figure it out on his own?" he said patiently. "I knew that Sota was lying to me, but I decided to play along."_

_"Then why didn't you say anything?" demanded Kagome in an outraged tone. Her father shrugged in amusement._

_"I wanted to see if this Inuyasha guy," he looked at Inuyasha as he said this, "Was good enough for my little girl. I knew that Sota wouldn't lie to me unless he was afraid of my reaction."_

_"And…" began Inuyasha worriedly, "Do you approve? I know that your opinion means a lot to Kagome and Sota."_

_Hayato took another sip before saying after a long silence, "I always said to myself, that there was no man that good enough for my daughter. I knew that she didn't need or want some weak little human… but there was no way that I could approve of some vicious demon either. But you're not either of them…"_

_"So does that mean what I think it means?" Kagome said hopefully._

_Her father laughed, "Yes Kagome. You have my blessings; which is what I know you wanted."_

_Kagome, beaming, went around the table and hugged him. But as she did, Hayato looked at Inuyasha and said seriously, "Don't make me regret giving you my blessing. You make sure to take good care of my little girl and my grandson. If I hear so much as a whisper that you aren't treating them right… I'm going to make you regret it."_

_Inuyasha nodded but he also gulped. He could see that Hayato was dead serious._

_Hayato got up and said cheerfully, "I think you two should go and take your kids home. They're both out like lights." _

_"Dad?" Kagome asked as she let go of him. "What about Hitomi? Do you approve of her?"_

_"Oh don't worry," he said grinning evilly. "I'm going to test her tomorrow. Make Sota sweat for trying to lie to me, you know? Well come on… let's get Shippo and Shiori into the car."_

_As he left the kitchen, Kagome suddenly remembered something and asked, "Dad? Why did you call Inuyasha son-in-law when you knew that Sota was lying?"_

_He just looked at the two of them, standing side-by-side and started laughing._

_*End of Flashback*_

"I got to say," said Inuyasha as he made another right turn, "Your dad is something else."

Kagome chuckled darkly, "I don't know what kind of tests that my dad put you through, but I'm sorry."

Inuyasha shrugged, "No problem… to tell you the truth… I kinda like the way he thinks."

"What?" said Kagome as she glanced back at the kids who were looking worried, "Don't tell me you're going to start giving tests when Shippo and Shiori start dating."

Inuyasha laughed out loud and said, "I guess we just have to wait and see."

They drove onwards for a while before Kagome said, "I still don't know if I'm ready to meet your family."

Shippo looked at Kagome and put on his best pouty face, "Please mommy? I wanna meet them. Pretty please with candy on top?" Shiori then joined him with her own pouty face and they gave her identical sad puppy-dog eyes.

Kagome tried to resist, but they were just too cute for words, "Oh, all right. But, Inuyasha, are you sure I look alright?"

"Keh, of course I'm sure. Look, all my family wants is to meet you and Shippo. Besides, Shippo told me that you've been getting ready for the last 3 hours; you're going to meet them."

Inuyasha could actually smell her nervousness, "Kagome, calm down. Everything will be fine," he laid a hand on her knee which caused Kagome to jump, but soon calmed under his touch. Shippo gave a small, but very Inuyasha-like, smirk in the backseat when he saw what happened. And Shiori's eyes were shining like stars as she saw the calm look on both their faces.

"I still don't see why we have to rush into all this," Kagome said as she calmed down.

"Oh… believe me," Inuyasha said in a strangled voice. "My mom's been demanding to see you ever since Shiori mentioned you.

_*Flashback*_

_A little while ago, Inuyasha had just come into the living room and was getting ready to watch a movie with Shiori. But when he went to get her, he saw that she was talking on the telephone…_

_"And my new mommy is so nice grandma!" she said happily. "And daddy never stops talking about her! And once they get married…"_

_"Shiori!" Inuyasha yelled in horror at what she was saying to his mother. _

_She looked behind her at her father and said, "Oh hi daddy!" she said cheerfully before turning her attention back to the phone. "Huh? Oh yes, daddy just got here," she said to grandma over the phone. "You want to talk to him?"_

_"Shiori no," hissed Inuyasha._

_Too late, Shiori held out the phone to Inuyasha and said, slightly confused, "Grandma said that she wants to talk to you… and ah… she said that she's not taking no for an answer."_

_Inuyasha moaned as he took the phone from her and told her to go and pick out a movie. Once she went skipping out of the room, he took a deep breath, shut his eyes before bringing the phone to his ear and said in a slightly scared tone, "Hello?"_

_"INUYASHA!" screamed his mother's voice that nearly broke his eardrums. "HOW COME YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU WERE DATING SOMEONE?" _

_"Gosh, mom, calm down. It's nothing like that! I'm not dating her! We're just friends!"_

_"Shiori told me that she calls her 'mommy'. And she calls the boy her 'brother'… that's more than just a friend!" _

_"Mom!" Inuyasha said sternly, but feeling blush covering his face. "It's nothing like that! We haven't even gone out on a date! Kagome and Shippo…"_

_"Oh… so her names Kagome?" her mother said excitedly. "And her son's name is Shippo? Oh I like the sound of that."_

_"Sound of what?" demanded Inuyasha._

_ "I want to meet her," his mother went on as if she didn't hear what he just asked, "The way that Shiori was talking about her… you think that Kagome really **is** her mother."_

_"Yeah but…" began Inuyasha._

_"Wait…" Izayoi cut in, "Does her son call you daddy?"_

_"Uhh…" _

_"He does doesn't he?" she scream happily. "Oh, I really want to meet them now!"_

_"But mom…" he begged her to listen. "I don't know if that's…"_

_"I want you to bring her and Shippo over for dinner one night soon," Izayoi's voice declared that her decision was final, and no amount of begging or pleading was going to change it._

_Inuyasha gulped, "Okay…mom…"_

_"See you soon," Izayoi's voice now was sugary sweet before she hung up._

_Inuyasha hung up the phone and sank down in the chair next to the phone, "What did I do to deserve this?"_

_*End of Flashback*_

Kagome raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha, who hadn't said anything for awhile. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Inuyasha shook himself out of his thoughts before saying, "Just thinking about what my mother said a while back," Inuyasha stopped at a red light, "She **really** wants to meet you and Shippo. And I think she's gonna have a fit if I don't bring you over tonight."

After about another ten minutes of driving, Inuyasha pulled into a gated driveway. Kagome was amazed at what she saw, "Oh holy…"

"Holy what?" asked Inuyasha interestedly.

Kagome glared at him, "Shut up. Seriously, this is your parent's house?"

"Yeah."

"This is not a house, it's a mansion!"

It was a giant mansion that looked to be about 4 floors with dozens of windows on the front and one or two balconies hanging from the top floors. The house was a teal color with a dark roof and white border paint tracing along the edges that caused the windows to stand out. There were giant pillars that connected the ground floor with the second floor, and then thinner ones connecting the second floor with the third. The lawn was as big as a football field, and filled with hundreds of flowers of every color and types…

"Are you excited now?" asked Inuyasha has he pulled into the driveway and put the car into park.

Kagome shook her head, "No, still scared, but it's beautiful!"

"It's HUGE!" said Shippo amazed as he stared up at it.

Inuyasha gave a small smile as he got out of the car and led them up to the front door. Feeling as if there were butterflies in his stomach, he took one last look at Kagome before he mustered up his courage and knocked.

Before he could knock more than twice, a very beautiful woman opened the door. "Inuyasha!" she said happily.

"Grandma!" Shiori cried as Inuyasha said fearfully, "Mom…"

Izayoi bent down to give Shiori a hug before she looked at Kagome and smiled even brighter. "Come in!" she said in excitement as she stood back, "You must be Kagome and Shippo."

Kagome bowed to her and followed the graceful woman inside, "Yes ma'am."

Izayoi hugged her granddaughter and whispered in Inuyasha's ear, "You didn't mention she was so beautiful!"

Inuyasha blushed a faint pink, and hissed, "Mom! Shut up!"

Izayoi put Shiori down and got a closer look at Shippo who looked eager but nervous. Izayoi held out her hand to Shippo and said, "Shiori told me so much about you. She calls you her brother?"

Shippo grinned toothily at her, which only caused Izayoi and Kagome to smile more. He puffed out his chest and said proudly, "Yep! I'm Shippo! And you're a nice lady!" He then ran forward and hugged her knees. Izayoi was started for a moment before she laughed and returned the hug.

At that moment, a very handsome man that had Inuyasha's long white hair and golden eyes, walked into the room. As Kagome looked at him, she knew right away that this was Inuyasha's father. _'So I guess Inuyasha and Shiori get their good looks from both sides of the family,'_ she thought.

Inutaisho smiled gently at her before saying in a rich, deep voice, "Inuyasha! Shiori!"

When Shiori saw Inutaisho she ran to him to give him a hug and screamed, "GRANDPA!"

Inutaisho picked up Shiori and received the hug. Shiori whispered something in his ear and the old demon chuckled. He had the kind of voice that was so deep that it would leave your ears tingling. (In a good way)

Kagome giggled at Shiori's actions, and Inutaisho turned to face her, "Kagome, I presume? I must say you're lovelier in person that what Inuyasha described."

Kagome flushed a bright pink as she looked at Inuyasha who was also blushing and muttering under his breath. She could hear him muttering about why people can't seem to shut up. She was about to laugh when she saw movement out of the corner of her eyes and she saw two people coming down the main staircase. She guessed that these two had to be Sesshoumaru and Rin.

"Ah," said the handsome, silver-haired man, Sesshoumaru as a beautiful, and very pregnant Rin stood next to him, "I see you finally brought her here little brother. It's about time."


	24. Planning Ahead

**Chapter 24: Planning Ahead **

After the introductions had all been made, everyone entered the living room. Kagome and Rin had already become fast friends and were talking happily about Rin's baby.

"What do you think it's going to be?" asked Kagome smiling.

Rin shrugged and merely said, "I don't care… as long as it's healthy. If it's girl… well I thought of a few names for her. I've always believed that names are important and what you name a child could end up affecting their personalities and maybe even their future. I thought about maybe Kayo? It means beautiful generation… but then there's the name Katsumi… it means mist! Mist is mysterious but beautiful in a special way and maybe she'll be too! But I'm kind of set on Naomi… it means… above all beauty!"

"I like Naomi," said Kagome, and being rewarded with a smile from Rin.

"I think that if it's a girl, then her name will be Naomi. But Sessy seems sure that it's going to be a boy!" said Rin happily.

"Sessy?" Kagome repeated.

"Sesshomaru," said Rin. "I've called him Sessy when we first started dating. He used to be so cold back then, but he's changed a lot. He doesn't even mind when Shiori calls him 'Uncle Fluffy' anymore."

"Uncle Fluffy?" Kagome laughed.

"Anyway," went on Rin. "Names for boys… well I thought of Akio… which means glorious hero! But I also like the name Ichiro… which means first son. I like that name because… well if it IS a boy, then he'll be my first son! But Sessy wants to name him Isao, or honor. I hate to admit it, but I really like the sound of that."

They were suddenly interrupted by Izayoi who called, "Well, who's hungry? I actually cooked for once."

"Definitely me," said Inuyasha with a smile as he followed Kagome and Rin into the dining room.

Everyone walked in and got situated at the table; Kagome in between Inuyasha and Shippo with Shiori sitting on Shippo's other side. Sitting across from them were Rin and Sesshoumaru, with Izayoi and Inutaisho were at either end of the table.

Conversation was flying all over the place until it came to a halt with a simple question from Rin, "So, Kagome, how long have you and Inuyasha been dating?"

Inuyasha flushed a bright red and Kagome nearly choked on her food, "Rin, Inuyasha and I aren't… ah… actually dating."

"Then what are you? Friends?"

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha before turning back to Rin, "Well, kind of…I'm Shiori's teacher at school and well it's kinda a long story."

Sesshoumaru spoke up and asked coolly, "So, you two aren't involved in any way?"

"No," Inuyasha replied. He didn't like the way the conversation was going now_. 'Too much concentration on mine and Kagome's relationship… except, we really don't have a relationship. I mean we never gone out on a date but still they don't have to make it sound like…ACK! Note to self: when family starts asking personal questions… change the subject.' _Inuyasha tried to clear the thoughts from his head.

Izayoi stood up, "Why don't we go into the living room for desert?"

"Yay!" Shippo and Shiori yelled, who hadn't said a word the entire dinner, jumped up and took off towards the living room.

Kagome got up to follow them as Izayoi joined her by her side and said, "You know… your son is so sweet."

Everyone started to leave, but Inutaisho pulled Inuyasha aside, "We need to talk. Let's go to my office."

"What did I do?" demanded Inuyasha as his father pulled him through the opposite wing of the house to where his large office space was.

The two walked in complete silence until Inutaisho sat in his desk and motioned Inuyasha to sit down, "Inuyasha, Shiori told me that you never stop talking about Kagome?"

"I'm going to have to have little talk with my daughter about keeping her mouth shut," muttered Inuyasha, keeping his eyes focused on the floor.

"No," said Inutaisho quickly, "I think that this is good for both you and her. Ever since Kikyo died…" he put down his head in respect, "May she rest in peace. You were devastated. I was worried that… you were never going to recover from the shock of it."

"Yeah well… I'm doing fine father," Inuyasha said emotionlessly.

"I'm just curious…" said Inutaisho in a serious tone. "I noticed that Kagome looks nearly identical to Kikyo…"

"Your point?" Inuyasha said coldly.

"I'm just wondering if you have gotten over Kikyo's death yet," his father said blankly.

It took a minute for Inuyasha to realize what his father was saying. "What?" he barked in outrage. "You think I only like Kagome because she looks like my dead wife?"

Inutaisho shrugged before saying calmly, "I was just curious. I mean, the resemblance is remarkable."

"Father!" Inuyasha almost screamed, "Do you really think that I'm that low? I didn't realize just how alike they looked until I looked at a picture of Kikyo a few weeks after I met Kagome! Besides, in case you haven't noticed, they have different personalities!"

Inutaisho held up his to stop his son from talking, Inuyasha didn't even realize how worked up he was getting until he took a deep breath. "I don't think you're low at all son," his father said truthfully. "I was just curious. And I was wondering if you told Kagome the truth about what happened between you and Kikyo?"

Inuyasha paled slightly as he turned his attention to the dark red carpet. "No. I didn't."

Inutaisho sighed, "You have to tell her soon. You can't keep something like this quiet forever."

Inuyasha nodded. "I was going to tell her… but something interrupted us that day." It wasn't a complete lie… he really was going to tell Kagome the truth between himself and Kikyo… but that was the day that Kagome told me that they shouldn't see each other anymore. Thankfully, he found out was about that stupid 'Hobo' and not him that was the problem.

"You don't have to tell her tonight," his father went on, "But if you keep this quiet for too much longer, I think that she'll be upset that you didn't tell her sooner."

Inuyasha nodded glumly.

"But on a higher note… I think that this would be good, for both you and Shiori. Kagome seems like a very sweet girl and her boy seems to be the kind of brother that Shiori needs. Oh by the way… Shiori told me over the phone a few days ago, that you met Kagome's father last weekend?" Inutaisho was cut off by Inuyasha.

"Shiori really needs to learn to keep her mouth shut sometimes…"

"She's a child," his father said relaxed. "She doesn't know any better. Now, tell me, what is her father like?"

"Very protective," said Inuyasha exasperatedly. "He made me go through all kinds of 'tests' to see if he approved of me being with his daughter."

Inutaisho laughed. "I'm not surprised. Kagome's his only daughter right? Well, it's only natural for a father to be overly-protective of her. Especially when it comes to dating."

"I told you," Inuyasha cut in, "Kagome and I aren't dating!"

"Well then, what would you call it?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted. "I haven't felt this way about anyone. Not since Kikyo… but… we never went out. At least, not without a couple kids with us anyway."

"You know we can watch Shiori anytime," his father said. "And I don't see why we can't watch Shippo too. All you have to do is ask."

"Dad!" Inuyasha yelled, his face going red.

"I'm just saying," his father said standing up, "If you don't ask her out soon, there will always be a chance that someone else will."

Inuyasha sighed, "I just don't know what to do. I mean I don't want to go to fast… but…"

Inutaisho smiled and put his hand on his son's shoulder, "I told you, son. You don't have to ask her tonight. But I would recommend that you ask her out soon. It doesn't have to be special… start off small like taking her to get some coffee. And when you get comfortable, then move on to things like movies or restaurants. It's all a matter of working your way up, and making sure that she's comfortable."

"Is that how you and mom ended up together?" Inuyasha asked slyly.

Inutaisho grinned and said, "That's none of your business."

"But that doesn't stop you from keeping out of mine," said Inuyasha.

"I'm your father, it's my job."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he got up and followed his father back to living room where the three women were chatting contentedly looking at old pictures and Sesshoumaru was looking bored out of his mind as he watched Shippo and Shiori eating their desert.

Kagome noticed immediately when Inuyasha and Inutaisho walked through the door, "Inuyasha, your mom was just telling me how cute you were when you were little. She has the pictures to prove it: you really were adorable!"

Rin giggled, "Yeah, what happened?"

Inuyasha shot a glare towards Rin that soon ended when he heard Sesshoumaru's protective growl and said sarcastically, "Ha-ha, ffffffuuuuunnnnnnnnyyyyyyy." Inuyasha sunk down in an overstuffed chair, sulking.

"What's with you?" asked Sesshomaru calmly.

"Nothing," he snapped at his brother.

"Oh," said Izayoi, "Sounds like someone needs a timeout."

"Keh!" Inuyasha's face was getting redder by the minute, "Kagome, I think we should be heading back."

"Yeah," she said as she looked down at her watch before standing up, "You're probably right, it's almost 10, and way pass Shippo's bedtime. Shippo?"

Shippo put down his fork and got up. But before he went to his mother, he went up to Izayoi and asked her, "Since Shiori is my sister, can I call you grandma and grandpa and Uncle Fluffy and Auntie Rin too?"

Kagome felt as if her face was on fire. Everyone else stared at him in amazement and on one knew what to say. Kagome was just thinking that maybe she should just grab Shippo and run out the door, when Izayoi started laughing and pulled him into her arms. "Oh, you are the sweetest thing!" she laughed.

Kagome stared at her. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

"Of course you can call me grandma!" she said happily.

Yep, definitely a good thing.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief when Rin and Inutaisho also began to laugh. Sometimes, Shippo was too much for her.

"Ok," she said, not wanting to push her luck as she walked over and took Shippo's hand, "Thank you for inviting us over. We had a wonderful time. What do you say Shippo?"

"Thank you grandma!" he said cheerfully.

Kagome went even redder, if that was possible. She looked over at Inuyasha, who was also as red as a tomato and looked like he would rather be anywhere than right here.

"Come on, runt, time to go," Inuyasha said to Shiori as he walked out of the living room and towards the front door with Kagome and Shippo.

"You know Shippo?" he said with a hand over his face, you could practically feel the heat from his humiliation coming from him. "There are some questions that are better left unasked."

"Oh, like what?" Shippo asked inquisitive.

"Bye everyone!" cried Shiori as she hugged her grandparents and Rin and waved to Sesshoumaru before heading towards the front door where Inuyasha was standing. Inutaisho, Izayoi, and Rin chose to follow Inuyasha and Kagome, grinning at their expense.

Kagome hugged both Rin and Izayoi, "Thank you all for inviting me over. I had a really nice time and it was great to meet you." Rin smiled as she hugged her new friend again, "Same here, Kagome. Just don't be a stranger, okay?" Kagome nodded and walked back to the car with Inuyasha and Shiori, and Shippo and got in.

All too quickly, as if Inuyasha couldn't get away fast enough, they were on the road in record time. "Oh, boy," Inuyasha said shaking his head. "That so did not go the way that I thought it would."

Soon enough, they were back at Kagome's house and Shippo said a quick goodbye to Shiori and Inuyasha before he ran into the house, and sat on the couch, looking out the window watching Kagome and Inuyasha. Inuyasha told Shiori to wait in the car as he walked with Kagome to the front door. Shiori looked out the window excitedly and watched them.

Inuyasha walked Kagome up to the door to say good night. "So, my family wasn't that bad, right?"

Kagome smiled, "No, your family is great! I'm so glad to have met them," Kagome sighed contentedly, "I had a wonderful time tonight Inuyasha."

"Me too," Inuyasha looked into Kagome's deep brown eyes and their faces were brought in closer and closer. "I just wish that Shippo didn't ask that question."

Kagome shook her head mortified, "Oh my god. I can't believe he asked that." Inuyasha then gave her a brief kiss to try to help her forget her awkwardness and to enjoy the moment.

After a quick minute, Kagome reluctantly pulled away before saying, "Well, I guess I better go put Shippo to bed. Thanks again Inuyasha." Kagome quickly leaned up and place a small kiss on his cheek before turning and in her house where Shippo bombarded her with questions, "Did you two kiss? Are you and daddy getting married? Are we going to see them tomorrow?"

Kagome said wearily, "Shippo, mommy's really tired. And you're supposed to be asleep…" but then she realized what he just said, "Wait, WHAT?"

She stared at him in amazement, "Married? What on earth makes you think that?"

"Well, you really like him don't you?" questioned Shippo, "And grandpa likes him. So doesn't that mean he's supposed to be my new daddy and Shiori my real sister?"

Kagome shook her head in wonder, "Shippo. Just because I like him doesn't mean that we're going to get married. Don't get your hopes up. Now it's time for bed."

Shippo got up without complaint, but went to bed with a smile.

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha walked back to the car and began the ride home. He was exhausted and couldn't wait to see his bed. However, Shiori chose at that moment to start asking, "Did you two kiss? Is Kagome gonna be my mommy? Are we going to see them tomorrow?"

"Shiori!" Inuyasha yelled in shock, "What do you mean 'is Kagome gonna be your mommy'?"

"Well, you like her don't you?" questioned Shiori, "Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Rin all said that they like her. Uncle Fluffy didn't say anything but that doesn't mean that he doesn't like her. So doesn't that mean you two will get married? And Shippo's gonna be my brother for real?"

"Oh I don't know, Shiori," Inuyasha sighed as their house came into view, "but would she really want to even date me?"

_*Monday*_

"Okay kids, it's time for arts and crafts," Kagome said getting all the student's attention. All of them hurried to their seats, mumbling and talking of what they were going to do today for arts and crafts.

"Today we are going to draw a picture to someone that is important to you," she continued. "Everyone will create a drawing for that special someone, okay?" Kagome said as she continued to discuss today's lesson.

"Does anyone have any questions before we start?" she questioned, Kagome saw a little hand go up almost immediately. It was no others than Shiori's; with a smile she nodded and asked her what her question was.

"Can it be for anyone?" she asked, her warm eyes full of curiosity, as she glanced at Kagome. Kagome nodded and told her as well as the other children that it can be anyone that is special to them, their mother, their father, aunt, uncle and anyone else that they think deserves one.

"Okay let's get started," she gestured as everyone got their crayons and paper out.

"Who are you going to draw for?" Shiori asked Shippo who was right by her side as always.

"We should both draw mommy and daddy's wedding picture," he said as he looked towards Kagome's direction, who was talking with Sango.

"But…" began Shiori.

"I know," said Shippo. "But we made a wish remember? I just know that mommy and daddy will get married someday! Someday soon! We're just getting ready for that day without telling them. Uncle Sota says that Hitomi calls it 'Planning Ahead'."

"Yeah," said Shiori looking unconvinced. "But don't you think that they'll going to ask why they're getting a wedding card when they aren't getting married… not yet anyway?"

"Oh that's easy. We just tell them that it's a special surprise and not to open it until we say so!" Shippo said, proud of his idea.

Grinning, Shiori said, "Sounds good to me. Now pass me the red crayon."

_*Later*_

"Okay everyone it's time to get ready to go home," Kagome yelled as every child started putting away their art supplies and went over to their little cubbies. Kagome looked over at Shippo, wondering why he was grinning like that. Almost as if he was hiding something.

Before she could begin to wonder on what it was, she saw Shiori running from the window and to the front doors screaming Daddy!"

Smiling, Kagome followed Shiori outside, and sure enough, Inuyasha was already standing there.

"Daddy!" Shiori screamed as she saw her father coming up the stairs. Shiori ran straight towards her father's open arms and kissed him in the cheek.

"Papa!" she said snuggling herself into her father's warmth. "You're here early!"

"Just a little bit," Inuyasha answered as looked at Kagome, who was fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"Kagome?" he said softly, sending chills down her body.

"Inuyasha?" she managed to say, as her cheeks started to become quite warm.

"I need to talk to you Kagome about something important," he said as he put Shiori down and told her to go and get her things.

"Important?" she asked as Shiori went running off with a smirk on her face. Inuyasha nodded and looked straight at her face, seriousness etched on it.

"About… y-y-y-you a-an-an-and m-m-me," he said this with so much stutter that it was as if he was a broken record.

"Okay…" she whispered as she felt her heart beginning to beat faster.

"Would you like to go out tomorrow night… j-j-just y-you and me?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck and looking everywhere but at her.

"Just us?" Kagome echoed, not sure if she should be happy or nervous.

"Just us…" Inuyasha repeated. "You know? No kids… just us?"

"I would like to but…" began Kagome, "But who's going to what Shippo and Shiori?"

"My dad said that they'd be more than happy to watch them," Inuyasha said grinning. "In fact, my mom's been demanding that I bring Shippo over again. I swear that she has falling in love with him."

_'Why am I blushing like a school girl?' _she thought in horror._ 'It's just Inuyasha.'_

"So tomorrow Kagome?" he asked, "After school?"

Kagome nodded as she told him tomorrow night sounded good to her.

"Daddy?" cried Shiori's voice. Inuyasha looked down at her and she smiled up at him. "I'm ready! Let's go!"

Inuyasha took Shiori's hand and they began to head down the stairs when Shiori stopped and screamed, "WAIT! I forgot my picture!"

"What picture Runt?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up at Kagome, just as Shippo came running out of the building, with an envelope in hand and handed it to Shiori.

"You forgot this Shiori!" Shippo called slightly out of breath.

"Thank you Shippo!" Shiori gave him a big smile before she looked up at her father and held out the picture for him. "This is for you daddy, I made it!" she said all proud of herself. "But don't open it now!"

"What why?" he asked.

"It's a surprise!" Shiori said secretively.

She and Shippo both then shared identical evil grins… while their parents shared looks of concern.


	25. Have in Mind?

**Chapter 25: Have in Mind?**

"Sango you have to help me!" Kagome cried as she scrambled to find something decent and yet elegant in her closet. Sango rolled her eyes as she helped Kagome to find something to wear to her date with Inuyasha.

"Kagome, calm down. Inuyasha is not going to criticize your outfit," she said finally finding a pale pink dress and handing it to her friend.

"But Sango I want to look nice," Kagome commented. Sango smiled and shook her head.

"I think that Inuyasha already thinks you look nice," Sango said with a wink and Kagome blushed.

"Sango?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do you think that it's best if I go out with Inuyasha?" Kagome asked with all seriousness.

Sango looked perplexed at her question, "Of course it's a good idea. Why are you asking?"

Kagome smiled, but her eyes still seemed sad as she said, "Sorry Sango… but I'm just not sure if going out with him is a good idea."

Sango sighed and patted the bed indicating for Kagome to sit down and talk.

"Kagome why would you say something like that?" she asked. "You deserve this! It's all been taken care of isn't it? Inuyasha will drop Shippo and Shiori at his parents' house, and you two will go out and enjoy yourselves. Why is that a bad thing?"

Kagome sighed and leaned on her best friends shoulder, confusion in her eyes, "Hojo that's why! Sometimes I have nightmares on what he might end up doing to Inuyasha and Shiori."

Sango sighed, knowing exactly where this is going.

"Kagome…"

"Sango I've been thinking lately, that maybe it would be better that I don't see Inuyasha anymore."

"Kagome!" Sango said in resentment.

"Think about it Sango… if I go out with Inuyasha, Hojo might end up targeting them in the future! If something happens to them I…" Kagome couldn't even finish.

"Kagome, listen…" began Sango.

"Not being with them seems to be the best option… I know that in my head but…"

"KAGOME!" Sango yelled at her getting irritated. "Inuyasha loves you, doesn't he?" she asked, demanding an answer.

Kagome nodded and mumbled a 'I think so' under her breath.

"Okay… Do you love him?" Sango said determinedly.

Kagome was silent for a moment before she nodded.

"Yes I do," Kagome replied truthfully.

"Well then…"

"Well then what?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Kagome… Inuyasha loves you. You love him. He loves Shippo and I know that you love Shiori. I really don't think that he'll care about what Hojo MIGHT do. I think he's willing to risk it."

"But Sango…" Kagome began.

Sango put her hand on her shoulder. "Kagome… I'm sorry, but I think that you're just scared to date again. I think that you're just afraid that you'll have your heart broken again. But don't compare Inuyasha to Hojo! He's nothing like him! And I know that he would never hurt you the way that Hojo did. I think that it's about time that you leave your fear and pain in the past where they belong."

"I know!" Kagome started again, her hands were shaking so hard that she had to clasp them together. "And I don't compare Inuyasha to Hojo. But…"

"Kagome… just give Inuyasha a chance… forget about Hojo and everything else just for tonight and try to be happy. You've earned this night out; enjoy yourself," Sango finished with a finality.

Kagome sniffled slightly as she nodded again, "I-I'll try," Kagome said as she hugged her. "Thank you Sango, I'm glad I can count on you. I mean just knowing that you're on my side… I'm always going to be grateful for this."

Sango hugged her back. "Anytime… Oh, and Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't worry. If Inuyasha does hurt you… he'll have to deal with me!" Sango said, with a wicked grin and cracking her knuckles.

Kagome blinked before she slowly started laughing. Sango then joined in and they both laughed so hard that there were tears in their eyes.

"Ok," said Kagome once she finally calmed down. "It's good to know that I have back-up in case this goes wrong."

_*Inuyasha*_

"So Inuyasha…" Miroku said from behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned around to find Miroku stretched out on his bed, his usual goofy grin on his face.

"What do you want?" he asked, nervously trying to button up his shirt.

"Just wanted to ask you something," Miroku said grinning even wider.

"What?" Inuyasha snapped. He really was NOT in the mood to play Q&A with Miroku today.

Miroku stretched and said, "Just wondering… since you're going out with Kagome tonight. Well… does this mean you and Kagome are…"

"Are what? Spit it out already!" he grunted, still having trouble with the stupid buttons.

"Dating?"

Inuyasha stiffened, not knowing what to say.

"Shut up Miroku! Get lost!" he yelled at him.

"Oh did I strike a nerve?" Miroku smirked.

Inuyasha grunted and chose not to reply, going back to fixing himself up. He couldn't beat Miroku with words.

"I don't blame you; Kagome is a beautiful woman. Soft-spoken, but with a nasty temper… kind-hearted, brave, stubborn, she has a pretty face, slender arms, and a good set of…" he didn't get to finish as a shoe came flying out of nowhere and hit him in the face.

"What was that for?" Miroku whined rubbing his forehead, where the shoe left a red mark.

"For your lecherous thoughts, you pervert."

Miroku put his hand over his heart and pretended to look hurt, "Pervert? Inuyasha… why must you think of me so lowly?"

"It's not too difficult," said Inuyasha grumpily. "Kagome and I are… well not a couple…and well… we aren't actually dating I guess… so I really don't know what we are." Inuyasha said with all honesty, as he finally managed to do up the last button.

"But you do love her?" asked Miroku emotionless.

Neither one said a word for a few minutes. Miroku was just thinking that he might have said something he shouldn't have when Inuyasha finally said, "Yes. I do. Something about her makes me so peaceful and happy… and I can't stop thinking about her… and…"

"And what?"

"I feel… I feel that I had kissed her a long time ago," he said as if in a gaze.

Miroku sat up with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, "So you **have** kissed her?"

"Yes I did," he hissed as he felt heat running up into his face. "But that's not the point. What I'm trying to say is that it feels like I have kissed her a long time ago, before I even met her at the school. I don't know why… it just feels that way."

Miroku shrugged and nodded but not really understanding what he meant. "Ah Inuyasha?" Miroku said looking down at his watch.

"What now?" Inuyasha responded fixing himself in the mirror.

"Weren't you supposed to pick up Kagome 10 minutes ago?"

"What?" Inuyasha yelled and looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh hell, I have to go…" He rounded on Miroku and shouted, "Why didn't you say anything before you idiot?"

"Nobody asked me," Miroku said shrugging innocently. "And well… truth is… I forgot."

"Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled as he left the room and went to go and get Shiori, "Remind me to kill you later for this!"

Miroku smiled but he also gulped, "You know Inuyasha, you really should work on those anger management issues."

"Shut up!"

_*Kagome*_

"He's late," Kagome said, looking in a mirror in her bathroom as she was putting up a tiny bit of mascara and lip balm. She was waiting with Shippo who was sitting on the edge of the bathtub looking at his mother.

"Momma?" he asked as he looked at Kagome putting the lip balm on, "You look really pretty!"

Kagome grinned at him and said, "Thank you Shippo. Now you sure you don't mind staying with Shiori and ah… your new grandma tonight?"

Shippo leapt up and began to jump around her and said, "YEP! But what are you and daddy going to do tonight?" he asked shrewdly. Kagome blushed slightly, "Inuyasha said that he wanted to talk to me about something important. That's it."

"Then why doesn't he want me and Shiori around?" Shippo asked sensibly.

"Ah well…" began Kagome, not really knowing what to say. Thankfully, she was spared to answer when they heard the sound of a car horn from outside. "Sounds like he's here," Kagome said gratefully. She put down her make-up and picked up a small purse as she followed her son downstairs and out the door.

By the time that she had locked the door, Shippo was already in the car and talking with Shiori. Kagome shook her head smiling as she walked over to them and got in.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said as she rode shotgun. She flushed when he said her name as the car left the driveway and they made their way down the road to Inuyasha's parent's house. She smiled at him, which only made Inuyasha smile back.

"Sorry we're late," he said as he leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the check. "Miroku was being an idiot."

Kagome blushed even more and whispered a small okay as they drove on. Shippo and Shiori both grinned as they watched their parents. Shippo touched Shiori's shoulder and winked as he jerked his head towards the front seats. He then mouthed, 'You remember the plan?'

Shiori nodded, grinning even wider. 'You sure it'll work?' she mouthed back.

Shippo gave her the thumps up before mouthing, 'We're just helping them a helping hand that's all.'

In no time, they were at Inuyasha's parent's house and Izayoi was already on the front porch waiting for them.

"You behave yourself Shippo," Kagome warned as he jumped out the car with Shiori and they ran over to Izayoi. Izayoi bent down as the two kids ran into her arms and gave her a hug. For a brief moment, Izayoi looked at Inuyasha in the car, with Kagome looking beautiful, by his side. She grinned and gave her son a wink.

Inuyasha went red as he then quickly turned the car around and left.

"Men," Izayoi said as she stood up with a child on each hand. "But I am glad to see that he's finally dating again."

"Grandma…" said Shiori happily, "We were wondering if you could do something for us?"

Izayoi raised an eyebrow and she asked, "Do something? Do what dear?"

"We've been trying to get mommy and daddy together… but it's taking a lot longer than we thought it would," explained Shippo.

"And we could use some help?" finished Shiori. "Do you want to lend a hand?"

Izayoi blinked, startled, before she gave them both an evil grin and said, "What do you two have in mind?"

**Review Please!**


	26. The Date And Step One

**Chapter 26: The Date... And Step One**

_*At the restaurant*_

Inuyasha had parked and they both got out and headed towards a fancy and expensive restaurant without looking at each other. They were shown their table and they both took their seats, blushing like crazy.

"So…" began Inuyasha, followed by an awkward moment, as neither could come up with anything else to say to each other.

"You look beautiful," he finally said, his face flaming red. Kagome looked up about to say 'thank you' but her eyes ended up locking with his. The two stared at one another, unable to look away… Kagome was entranced, and Inuyasha could feel his heart thumping about madly in his chest. She looked so beautiful.

"Thank you," she finally said.

Another uncomfortable silence. Fortunately, the waiter, a chubby raccoon-dog with a nametag that said Hachi, had chosen that moment to come over to their table with some glasses of water.

"So I guess we should order something, don't you think?" Kagome said, trying desperately to keep her blushing under control and to break the silence before she lost her mind.

"Huh?" Inuyasha began before realizing that they weren't alone anymore. "Oh yeah. Sure." He then looked down at the menu while Hachi took out a pad and pencil before asking them both, "Can I take your order?"

"Yes. I would like a salad please," Kagome said, as she heard a small keh sound come from Inuyasha.

"Is there something wrong with a salad?" she questioned.

"Oh no," he said as he tried to stifle a laugh at the accusing look on her face. He looked at the menu and demanded in an outrage voice, "What? You don't have any Ramen?"

Hachi rubbed the back of his head with his paw and said, "Sorry sir. But we…"

Kagome rolled her eyes and told Inuyasha to shut up and choose something else. Inuyasha let out another keh as he ordered some steak. As he handed the menu back to Hachi, Kagome spoke up and ordered some more food.

"Okay, how about Donburi Mono with Japanese noddles, and grilled chicken Caesar, and for dessert… Sorbet ice cream," she finished as a stunned Inuyasha stared.

"Okay I will be with your orders shortly," Hachi said politely as he excused himself.

Kagome folded her napkin in her lap and took a sip of water as she looked up at Inuyasha, "What? Is something wrong?" she asked smugly.

"Are you sure you're able to eat all of that?" he questioned.

"Sure," said Kagome smiling. "After all… you're footing the bill."

He raised his eyebrows and frowned, "What makes you think that I'm gonna pay?"

Kagome shrugged, "You told me not to have to worry about paying on the car ride over here."

"Damn," said Inuyasha shaking his head. Kagome grinned again and said, "Besides, even if I don't finish, I can always bring the leftovers home in… in a doggy bag." She laughed at the last part.

"Oh don't start with me," Inuyasha said as his dog ears twitched around at every tiny sound. They sat in silence again, and didn't say another word until Hachi finally came back with their orders and laid down the check. Not surprisingly, Inuyasha picked it up.

As they ate, you could practically hear their brains working hard on trying to think of something to say and not sound like idiots.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha finally spoke up as he glanced at her. Kagome looked up from her plate of food and said, "Yes?"

"I'm in love with you," he said seriously as he put down his fork and reached out to put his clawed hand on top of hers. Kagome stared back into his eyes.

"I love you… but I'm scared too," he continued as Kagome said nothing, still stunned at his openness.

"You're scared?" she whispered. "Of what?"

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. "After my wife… Kikyo… after she died… I didn't think that I would ever find someone else to love. I mean…" he glanced around at all the other tables, not being able to look at her eyes anymore and went on, "We had been married for less than a year. Shiori had been born only two months before Kikyo died. Kikyo and I were going to spend the rest of our lives together…"

Kagome put down her head. "I'm sorry," she said.

Inuyasha nodded as he said, "Thanks. But still… I remember feeling heartbroken when I realized that she was gone. The morning that she died, when I left for work… I was a married man, I had a beautiful wife and daughter… I never dreamt that she would be dead by the time I got home that night."

He sighed as he looked down at his plate and went on, "I don't get it. Even after all this time… I still don't know why it happened… it wasn't supposed to be like that."

Kagome nodded as she wondered where he was going with this.

"I always swore that I would never love another woman after Kikyo died… but then…" he looked at her and Kagome blushed red.

"I'm happy with you Kagome," he said with sincerity in his voice. "Before I met you… there was a hole in my heart that I couldn't seem to fill. But… you've done so much for me and Shiori. You helped to fill that empty void inside that Kikyo had left. Whenever I'm with you… I feel so… peaceful and happy."

"But?" Kagome asked.

"I'm afraid that something might happen between us. I'm afraid that my heart will be broken again."

Kagome took her other hand and placed it on top of his. "I know," she said sincerely. "Sango asked me… just before you picked me up tonight… that I might be afraid to trust another man… you know… after Hojo."

Inuyasha let out a hiss of annoyance at Hobo's name and Kagome gave him a feeble smile before continuing, "She said that I'm afraid to date again. That I'll have my heart broken again… and you know what? I think she was right."

Inuyasha opened his mouth, but Kagome saw what he was going to say and cut in, "I'm not comparing you to Hojo! I know that you're nothing like him. And I know that you would never hurt me the way that Hojo did. But…"

"But?" Inuyasha asked.

"But I guess I'm afraid too. I'm afraid of you," she said truthfully.

Inuyasha stared at her before a hurt look came over his face and he tried to remove his hand from hers. But she held on tighter, "I'm not afraid that you would betray me… or hurt me because I know that you never would. I'm only afraid that something would happen to you. The same fear that you have with me."

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment before he took his other clawed hand and put it in hers. She smiled at his touch before he said, "I don't know what to do. Like I said… I never thought that I would ever love another woman after Kikyo. After her death I hardened my heart and I thought that I would never be able to move on with my life. But I had to… for Shiori's sake. But deep down… I think that… I felt anger… even bitter towards Kikyo for leaving me to take care of Shiori on my own."

Kagome shook her head, "Inuyasha? I'm sure that she wanted to live on with you and Shiori. I'm sure that she didn't ask to die."

Inuyasha nodded. "I know that," he said. "She wanted to be married and to have a family more than anything. But still…" he sighed. "I couldn't help but feel resentment towards her. When she died, I kept thinking that I was going to be alone forever… that's what I thought my purpose was. It made me feel hollow inside, alone. And then I would miss Kikyo. I would miss her so bad that I would ache."

Kagome squeezed his hand. Inuyasha went on, "You know? I used to say things all the time like 'I would never love anyone else' or that 'I would be fine on my own'." He stared off into space with a dark look in his eyes. "But now that I think about it… I was just… I was running away. I needed to get away from Kikyo's death. That's what happened to me."

Kagome nodded, "I know… when Hojo left me… I think that my own heart became very hard. I guess I retreated into myself to try to escape from my own pain. Hojo never wanted to become a father… if only I realized a few things earlier… I could've avoided all of this trouble. But I know that I can't change the past. What's done is done. I knew that I had to stay strong for Shippo's sake and move on. But when you talk about running from your problems… I think that I was running away too. I needed to get away from my own pain."

She let out a sad sigh as she raised one of her hands and gently traced Inuyasha's cheek. He closed his eyes lazily, as if enjoying her touch. "Inuyasha?" she began, "I know that I could never take Kikyo's place, and I'm not asking that you should forget about her… but…" he opened his eyes as she could feel her own beginning to water. "I want to be with you Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's hands tightened so hard that it hurt slightly, but Kagome ignored it.

"I want to be with you too Kagome," Inuyasha said, and Kagome saw that he meant every word.

He then leaned forward and they pressed their lips together; Kagome could feel the love in his kiss and she tried to respond by letting him feel the love in hers. When he pulled back he said, "You know what? I'm through with it! I'm through with running away! I'm ready to try again to find some reasons and answers. To find my purpose… if I'm with you… I think it'll be ok."

Kagome shook her head, "I don't know what I can do to help you… I wish I knew what to do. What the right answers are."

Inuyasha smiled gently, "We'll find them together…"

Kagome gave a small chuckle and said, "I knew that you were a big softy deep down."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes before he ordered, "Shut up and kiss me again."

And so they kissed, long and hard.

_*Later that night*_

Kagome and Inuyasha had arrived to pick up their kids. Inuyasha knocked and came in with Kagome right behind him. There was a strange glint in her eyes and a small smile on her face as she looked around to see Izayoi coming down the stairs and smiling.

"Mom? Where are…" began Inuyasha, but his mother put her finger to her lips, telling him to hush. She then pointed up the stairs and gestured them to follow her. They went up and Izayoi whispered, "They never left each other's side the whole time. If I didn't know better, I would swear that they're really siblings."

She led them to a spare bedroom and quietly opened the door and led them inside. Kagome smiled and let out a small 'awwww' as she saw both little kids curled up on a bed, fast asleep. They looked just like that morning after they came in and asked to sleep with her the night before.

Kagome thought that she had to get those pictures developed and show them to Izayoi and Rin.

She then went over and stroked Shippo's head as he continued to sleep on. "I almost hate to wake him," she said.

"Then don't," said Izayoi calmly.

Kagome gave her a strange look as Inuyasha looked at his mother in surprise.

"We have plenty of room," Izayoi said gently. "And I would hate to see you wake them up. So why don't you just spend the night?"

Kagome's eyes widened, "Oh, I couldn't…" she began.

Izayoi waved her hand and said, "Nonsense. We have plenty of room. And you said so yourself that you would hate to wake them up right?"

"Yes b-but…" Kagome said as she tried to think of a good excuse.

"Besides," Izayoi said as she took Kagome by the hand and lead her out of the room before saying, "Rin's having her baby shower tomorrow night and I think that you should take Shiori out shopping. And you don't have to worry about Shippo. I know that he wouldn't want to go out shopping for a baby shower, but I'm sure that Inuyasha would love nothing more than to spend some quality time with him."

Inuyasha jumped, startled and asked, "What are you planning mom?"

Izayoi stared at him in a hurt way and said, "What on earth makes you think that I'm up to something?"

Inuyasha gave her an accusing stare as he followed them out of the room and said, "I know you. I know when you're up to something."

Izayoi put her hands on her hips and said, "Inuyasha? What could I possibly be scheming?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth, closed it, and Izayoi gave a triumph grin. "Now that that's settled," she put her hand back on Kagome's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about a thing dear. We have plenty of room, and spare clothes for you to change into."

"B-but," Kagome stammered.

Izayoi waved her hand again as she led her down the hallway to another spare room, "It's no trouble at all! Besides, I think that this would be good for everyone! I would love to have some more people around, even if it's for a little while. This house can get so lonely sometimes."

"Yeah… but…" Kagome began again, but she saw the glint in Izayoi's eyes and she knew that she was fighting a losing battle. She sighed as she nodded and allowed herself to be dragged down the hall to a spare room.

Izayoi talked cheerfully as she showed Kagome a large bedroom and gave her a pink, silk nightgown to change into.

"This is really too much," Kagome said as she took the nightgown.

"Oh don't mention it!" Izayoi said. "It's just so nice to have guests. Now if you need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to ask." Izayoi turned to leave, but as she reached the door she looked back and said, "Oh by the way…"

"Yes?" Kagome said quickly.

"Shippo and Shiori both are smart kids," she then left after that. Leaving a confused Kagome behind, trying to figure out what was going on.

_*A little later*_

Izayoi made sure that Inuyasha, who continued to try to figure out what she was planning, and Kagome were both in their separate guest rooms before she when back to Shippo and Shiori's room and stuck her head in. "Goodnight," she said with a grin.

Two pairs of eyes opened and they both said, "Thanks for the help grandma!"

"Step one is complete!" said Shippo happily as Izayoi closed the door.

"Tomorrow… Step two!" Shiori said.

"Operation… New Parent's is on its way!" Shippo said excitedly as they both continued to make their plans for the next day.

(Sorry. But I have school tomorrow… from 8 to 4:50! College can suck. Anyway, chapters are going to be going up a lot slower from now on… sorry, can't be helped. But please review! I love your reviews!)


	27. Step Two

**Chapter 27: Step Two**

Kagome opened her eyes to a brilliant sunshine coming in through her window. She blinked a few times as she stared up at her ceiling… wait a minute… wasn't her ceiling white? This was a rich gold color…

She sat up immediately and looked around… this wasn't her room. She had started to panic before she remembered last night, and how Izayoi pretty much forced her to stay the night. She let out a small sigh of relief just as she heard the bedroom door open.

A head with red hair peered around the door at her.

"Shippo?" Kagome said as she pulled the blankets off her, and put her feet on the floor.

"Mamma!" he cried out happily as he ran to her and gave her a quick hug. "Grandma says that Auntie Rin's baby shower's today! And she says that I'm going to spend the day with daddy and you get to spend it with Shiori! Isn't that great?"

Kagome returned the hug and stood up. "Yeah, I'm sure that this is going to be great for everyone."

"Oh!" Shippo said quickly as he got up and ran from the room. "HOLD ON!" he cried back as he ran out the door. Kagome sat there confused for a minute before Shippo ran back into the room carry a set of clothes.

"Grandma wanted you to wear this stuff today!" he said cheerfully as he held out the pile to her. "She also says that breakfast is on the table; Shiori and everyone else is down there eating."

"Ok," said Kagome as she looked down at the clothes. There was a white blouse and a long green skirt, that appeared to have been made from fine silk and felt wonderful on her underneath her hands.

"I'll put these on, and freshen up before I come down ok?" she said to Shippo as she stared at the beautiful clothes. "And please tell ah… grandma… thank you." It felt strange for Kagome to think of Izayoi as grandmother, she seemed so young.

"'Kay!" Shippo cried out as he dashed from the room with a slight skip and a devious smile. Slightly bothered about that smile, Kagome began to change.

_*Outside the room*_

Shippo shut the door and quickly turned to Shiori who was sitting on the floor next to the door, "She'll be down in a minute!"

Shiori nodded, "You remember the plan?" she asked.

Shippo punched his chest and grinned proudly, "Of course!"

"Then it's all set," said Shiori.

Shippo took her hand and lead her down the hallway; as they reached the hallway he said, "Step Two is about to begin."

_*Downstairs a little later*_

"Hey! Good morning sleeping beauty!" Izayoi said cheerfully as she stood up from the table. Kagome had just entered the room and looked beautiful in the new clothes. "I hope that you're hungry!" Izayoi said as she began to pour Kagome some orange juice.

"Starving," said Kagome smiling as she sat down next to Izayoi. "And Izayoi? Thank you for everything that you've done for me and Shippo."

Izayoi waved her hand away impatiently and said, "Like I said last night, don't worry about it. I'm more than happy to share what I can with you and your charming son." Izayoi smirked at the last few words which caused Kagome to raise her eyebrows in worry.

"Is there something I don't know?" Kagome asked looking that the smirk.

Izayoi merely laughed as she handed Kagome a plate, "Don't be shy, help yourself! And what do you mean by that last comment dear?"

"It's just… never mind," said Kagome as she shook her head and helped herself to some of the eggs. "It's just that sometimes I feel like everyone else is hiding things from me."

Izayoi just stood up and asked as she laid a pink scarf on her chair, "Why would we be hiding anything from you Kagome? Do you mind? I need to go and check on Rin. I'll be back in a minute."

"Oh no, I don't mind at all!" Kagome said quickly. "By the way, where is everyone?"

"Oh, everyone else had already eaten," Izayoi said calmly, "We tried to wait for you but… well that's what happens when you have hungry kids, men, and a pregnant woman." Izayoi then left the room, and left Kagome in the dining room.

Izayoi then quickly went up the stairs and, to her delight, she saw that Shiori was doing what they planned, and had Inuyasha outside the room. "Inuyasha?" Izayoi sang as she walked quickly towards him. "I need to go and check on Rin, but I left my scarf in the dining room. Could you go and get it for me? I wanted to show Rin."

"Can't you show it to her later?" Inuyasha asked in surprise.

"It's a brand new one, and I just can't wait!" Izayoi said, a little too excitedly. "Please? It should only take a minute?"

Inuyasha let out a sigh and grumpily headed down the stairs. Izayoi grinned evilly as she bent down to Shiori and gave her a high five. "Step Two begins now," she said.

Shiori returned the grin and asked, "Grandma? Do you really think that Kagome will really become my new mommy?"

Izayoi put her hand on Shiori's shoulder as she pulled her towards the room that Rin was staying in. "I can guarantee it," she said confidently. "Once Step Two is finished… we'll be one step closer to that wedding."

_*Downstairs*_

Inuyasha was talking bitterly to himself, "If she wanted to show Rin the scarf so much, why didn't she think to take it up in the first place?"

He continued to mutter to himself as he pushed open the dining room doors… and stopped dead to see Kagome sitting at the table alone. He saw her look up at him surprised before smiling. "Hey," she said, "I thought that you were Izayoi."

Inuyasha came out of his daze before he rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Just what everyone wants to hear first thing in the morning."

Kagome let out a small laugh as she put down her juice. Inuyasha felt his insides melt and a small smile came to his mouth. "So… ah…" he said, trying to think of something clever to say. "Ah… you look nice today…"

_'Stupid!'_ he thought to himself. _'Is that the best you could think of? Come on!'_

"Yeah," said Kagome looking out the window. "So what do you plan on doing with Shippo today? I know that he won't be thrilled about going to a baby shower. I remember how he was when Sango had her baby boy last year."

"Yeah… ah… I don't know," said Inuyasha truthfully. "I guess that I really haven't thought about it. I mean…"

"Maybe…" Kagome cut in, "Since I'm going to be taking Shiori shopping for Rin's baby shower, maybe you can take him out to the park or something? Shippo really hasn't spent a lot of time with a guy before."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Inuyasha shyly. "Shiori's had Rin and Izayoi, but she can't see them all the time and I know that it's been hard on her. I'm glad that you're here with her."

Kagome felt herself turning a bright red and Inuyasha suddenly noticed the scarf hanging on the chair next to her. "Ah… my mom told me to get her scarf so that she could show it to Rin… and… I… ah…"

Kagome quickly got up and grabbed the scarf before walking up to him. She held it out and said quickly, "Here"

Inuyasha took the scarf but not before slightly brushing Kagome's hand. Inuyasha felt as if his face was on fire, and Kagome was turning the color of a bloody sunset. "Thanks…" he said as he turned to leave the room.

"And by the way…" Kagome said quickly as he stood in the doorway. "I-I'm glad that you're here with Shippo."

Inuyasha blushed a whole new shade of red before he stuttered, "Ah… yeah… I-I mean you d-don't have to g-get so mushy about it… I," he ran before he finished making a fool of himself. He left Kagome standing there with a starry look in her brown eyes and a peaceful smile on her lips.

_*Upstairs*_

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he said to himself bitterly. "Just what was I saying? I can't believe that I'm such an idiot sometimes… she must think that I'm a complete…"

"You got it!" cried an excited voice that made Inuyasha jump and let out a startled yell.

"MOM!" he yelled, "Don't pop out at me from nowhere! You scared the life out of me!"

His mother came skipping over to him and took the scarf, "Sorry, but I thought that you knew I was there. Anyway, why don't you take Shippo and head out now?"

"Now?" Inuyasha said shocked. "Right now?"

"Why not?" Izayoi said happily. "Shippo's so excited. He's waiting in the living room." And without waiting for an answer, she pushed him towards the stairs. "It's best if you don't keep him waiting any longer."

"B-b-b-b-b-but," Inuyasha stuttered.

"Oh, come on," Izayoi said a little frustrated, "Shippo's been waiting all morning! Get going. Unless… you two want to stay here and help get things ready for the shower?"

"No!" Inuyasha said quickly. "Fine, I'm going, I'm going!" He then headed down the stairs and started to grumble again. Izayoi smiled as she put the pink scarf around her neck and said quietly to herself, "I did what I could kids. It's up to you to finish Step Two." She then went to go and check on Rin.

_*Downstairs*_

Shippo was busy watching cartoons when Inuyasha came in and said, "Yo! You coming Shippo?"

Shippo leapt up as if given an electric shock and cried out, "Just let me go say goodbye to mommy!" He went running into the hallway room, where Kagome was getting ready to go shopping with Shiori. He gave his mom a hug and a kiss, while giving Shiori a brief wink.

"You behave yourself for Inuyasha, ok Shippo?" Kagome said seriously.

"Okay," said Shippo agreeably as Inuyasha came in.

"Hey, Shippo, go and get in the car." He then looked up at Kagome and said, "I'll drop you and Shiori off at the mall ok? My mom said that she'll pick you up a little later."

Kagome nodded, "Sounds good to me." She turned to look down at Shiori and asked gently, "Ready Shiori?"

Shiori nodded sweetly and said, "Mommy? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?" Kagome asked as she bent down, smiling to the little girl, and at the same time curious of what Shiori wanted.

"Can I give you a kiss too mommy?" she asked putting on her puppy face, a face that no one could say no too.

"Of course," Kagome said almost laughing as Shiori then leapt up into her arms and gave her a quick kiss.

"Thank you mommy," she said, before turning to look at Inuyasha, "Now daddy needs a kiss too." As she said this, Kagome's face lit up.

"Um… Shiori? I don't…" Kagome stammered. Inuyasha rolled his eyes before he grabbed her chin gently with his other hand.

Before he could lose his nerve he closed the distance between them. Kagome gasped, clearly surprised, yet willing to accept it.

"Thanks, Kagome," his hand slid to her cheek in a gentle caress.

"Anytime," Kagome said almost breathlessly. Shippo and Shiori both headed out the door with identical smiles.

_*At the mall*_

Inuyasha pulled up in front of the mall and let the girls out. Shiori gave her father a kiss, and leapt out. "Have fun!" Kagome cried as she also got out. The two women waved as the car took off, and they continued to wave until it was out of their sights.

Shiori took Kagome's hand and led her into the mall while asking, "What do you think that Shippo and daddy gonna do?"

Kagome shrugged, "Who knows? I'm sure that they'll find something to do."

"Why don't they want to go to Auntie Rin's baby shower?" Shiori asked curiously.

Laughing, Kagome said, "It's just a boy thing. Come on… what do you think we should get your aunt?"

_*4 hours later*_

Kagome and Shiori were walking out of a baby store, since they didn't know if it was going to be a boy or girl yet, they both bought some toys and a few baby bottles.

"Do you think that Auntie Rin's gonna like these mommy?" Shiori asked.

"I think that she's going to love them," Kagome replied as they walked past the food court. "Hey? You hungry? Why don't we get a small snack? We still have a little while before your grandma picks you up."

Excited, Shiori grabbed Kagome's hand and they headed to one of the many food stands. "I want an ice cream!" Shiori said. "Is that ok?"

"I don't see why not," said Kagome as they went to a stand that had 'Dairy Queen' written above it. Kagome ordered a couple ice cream cones and they sat down at a table to eat them.

As Shiori licked, she looked at Kagome and knew that now was a good time to finish her part of Step Two. "Ah… mommy?" she asked as sweetly as she could.

"Hmm?" Kagome said, as she continued to eat.

"Do you love my daddy?" she asked.

Kagome's eyes widened as she almost dropped the cone. "Did you just say love Shiori?" she asked, as if she had heard wrong.

Shiori nodded.

"Ah… well," Kagome said, wondering what to tell the little girl.

"Because I think that my daddy really loves you," said Shiori. "He talks about you all the time! I really think that daddy loves you. And I think that he wants to be with you."

Kagome smiled as she felt that familiar blush cover her face.

Shiori could only slurp her ice cream… trying to hide her own smile. _'Step Two… complete,'_ she thought.

_*Meanwhile*_

"Hey, dad? Why do they even have baby showers? I mean, what's the point?" asked Shippo from the backseat.

Inuyasha shrugged, "Who knows? Must be a girl thing. I think that they just do it to annoy the male race."

"So, where are we going?" asked Shippo.

"I honestly don't know. Where do you want to go, but be reasonable ok?" said Inuyasha seriously as he stopped at a red light.

"Can we go to a game?" asked Shippo happily. "Mommy isn't a baseball fan, and I always wanted to go to a real life baseball game."

"I don't see why not," said Inuyasha as the red light turned green. "To tell you the truth, I haven't been to a game in a long time."

"Why?" asked Shippo interestedly. "Don't grown-ups get to do whatever they want?"

Inuyasha let out a sarcastic laugh, "I wish. Grown-ups have to go to work all day."

"Oh," said Shippo as he looked out the window. _'Ok,'_ he thought, _'Time for my part of Step Two.'_

He took a deep breath and said, "Dad? Do you love my mommy?"

Inuyasha slammed on the brakes a little too hard at the stop sign before he said a little coldly, "That's none of your business."

"Sorry!" Shippo said quickly, wishing that he didn't ask Inuyasha that question in the car. "It's just that I really think that my mommy really loves you."

Inuyasha started driving again; he was quiet for so long, that Shippo started to stare out the window and tried to think of a back-up plan.

"Really?" asked Inuyasha as the stadium came into view.

"Huh?" began Shippo. "Yeah, she talks about you all the time. And she gets all red whenever she thinks of you. I know that she really loves you and it makes her happy to be with you." He put his head down, trying to hide a smile. If Shiori did her part, then Step Two: Let them know that the other loves them and wants to be with them… is complete… now onto Step Three…

**(Sorry for not updating for a while. But i'm stuck in school from 8 to 4:50 for four days a week. I promise to update as soon as i can and thank you for your patience)**


	28. What a Kiss Means and Step Three

**Chapter 28: What a Kiss Means... and Step Three**

Izayoi had picked up Kagome and Shiori and they were heading back to the house with Shiori chatting merrily to Izayoi on what they bought. Kagome was hardly listening to a word that they were saying… she was thinking about what Shiori said earlier… was she right? Did Inuyasha really want to be with her?

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice when they were in the driveway until Shiori tapped her on the knee. "Mommy? Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Kagome said as she snapped out of it.

"Kagome? Are you alright dear?" asked Izayoi's voice.

"Yeah," said Kagome quickly as she gathered her bags and got out of the car. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking of something." As she headed up the walkway to the house, Shiori and Izayoi gave each other triumphed grins.

When Kagome entered the house, she saw that it was decorated with pink and blue decorations and Rin was humming merrily to herself from the couch. She looked up to see Kagome enter the room and she gave her cheerful grin as she waved her over. "Hey Kagome! We just finished the decorations! What do you think?"

Kagome walked over to her grinning, and said, "They're adorable! Did you find out if it's going to be a boy or girl yet?"

"Nope," said Rin happily as she went rummaging through a box of brightly colored tissue paper. "Me and Sessy decided to wait and find out."

"Any ideas on what it might be?" Kagome asked as she sat down next to her.

Rin thought it over for a moment, "Well, I want it to be a boy… but then I'll have to worry because boys will get ideas… and if it's a girl… I'll still have to worry because boys will get ideas."

Kagome laughed. "That's true."

"Did you know that you were going to have a boy?" Rin asked interestedly. Kagome, who was messing with the handle of the bag, accidently snapped it in two. She thought it over for a minute.

Now she really liked Rin, but… she wasn't sure if she was ready to tell her about Shippo's twin sister being a stillborn. Her heart still ached at the thought of her baby girl…

"No…" she said after a moment of quiet. "I was very surprised of having a boy."

The smile on Rin's face, faded slightly as she saw the sad look in Kagome's eyes. Did she say something that she shouldn't have? Rin decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, I have something that I wanted to show you."

Kagome looked up interested, not noticing the little girl that was peeking into the room at them. As Kagome bent down to move her bag, Rin caught sight of Shiori and gave her a quick wink. She then held up 3 fingers to the little girl and mouthed, 'Step Three.'

Shiori flashed her a wide smile before she nodded and ran off.

Kagome then sat up straight and asked, "What did you want to show me?"

"Well," Rin began as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture… it was of her and Sesshomaru. Kagome thought that the picture had to have been taken a few years ago… maybe before they were married perhaps? Rin and Sesshomaru both looked as the same as they did today, except maybe a little bit younger, and before Rin was pregnant. She and Sesshomaru were both sitting on a park bench and Sesshomaru had his arm around Rin's waist, and Rin had her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. Sesshomaru looked the same as he always did, except he had a slight smile playing on his lips. Rin on the other hand, had a big Cheshire Cat smile on her face.

"This picture was taken when me and Sessy were both still dating," said Rin dreamily. "It was in the park, right after he and I had our first kiss…"

"Awwwww," said Kagome. "That has to be one of the sweetest things I ever heard of."

"Yeah," Rin said with stars in her eyes. "But I knew that he and I were meant to be together… even before the kiss."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Well, believe it or not… I was once a shy little girl when I was I school."

Kagome let out a fake gasp, "You? NO."

Rin nodded, "It's true. I hardly ever spoke to anyone… I spent most of my time alone… that is until the day I meant Sesshomaru." Rin sighed happily before she went on, "I was being bullied by a group of wolf demons one day, and Sesshomaru fought them off. I can't explain the feeling I had… all I knew was that I felt truly, and completely safe around him. I wanted to get to know him more."

She grinned as if remembering all the times she spent with Sesshomaru. "He was a bit of a lone wolf himself you see. He was one of those strong silent types… and I guess that's what drew me to him like a moth to a bright flame. Thanks to him I was able to come out of my shell and be myself. We started dating not long after that…"

She gave Kagome a wide grin as Kagome tried to think of a quiet and shy Rin.

"I knew that I loved him with all my heart and soul," went on Rin. "But for a long time I wasn't sure of how he felt towards me… that is until the day that he took my hand did I begin to think that maybe he felt the same for me…"

"How is that?" Kagome asked confused.

"Well," Rin said with a smirk. "It's just something I heard when I was little. What hand gestures mean… when you hold hands, it means that 'I care about you.' When he took my hand for the first time, I began to think that he had some kinds of feelings towards me."

"Really?" said Kagome surprised. "Holding hands means 'I care about you?'"

"Yep. And when you're holding on tightly, that means 'I don't want to let go.' Hand gestures have special meanings."

"Like what?" Kagome said interestedly.

"Well," Rin said grinning. "When you're holding each other's hands while looking into each other's eyes it means, 'I just plain love you.' When someone is playing with your hair it means, 'I wish you would tell me that I love you.' When you're laughing while touching, that means 'I am completely comfortable with you.' One of my favorites is when someone picks you up off your feet, it means 'That I love you fully and will do anything for you.' And then there's arms around your waist like in this picture," she pointed to the Sesshomaru who did have his arm around Rin's waist. "That means… 'I love you too much to let go.' That was the day I knew he loved me… even before the kiss."

"Wow," said Kagome stunned. "I had no idea what a simple hand gesture could mean."

"Yeah, well that's nothing. You want to know what a kiss means?" Rin asked smiling.

"A kiss means 'I love you' doesn't it?" Kagome said surprised.

"Yes… but that depends on where the kiss is," Rin said wisely. "For example, a kiss on the forehead means 'I hope that we're together forever.' A kiss on the cheek means 'We're friends.' A kiss on the hand means that 'I adore you… don't ever change.' A kiss on the neck means that 'We belong together,' and kiss on your nose means 'I want to be with you.'"

"And a kiss on the lips?" Kagome asked.

"Oh that means, 'I love you… with everything I have,'" Rin answered. At that moment, Shiori came running into the room and into her aunt's arms. As Rin and Shiori talked, Kagome was lost in thought.

Kagome never knew that touching, that may seem simple, could have a special meaning. But now that she thought of it, it made plenty of sense. She thought back to all the times that she had with Inuyasha… They held hands sometimes… and he sometimes wrapped his arms around her waist… she laughed whenever they touched… and she held on tightly to his hands when she looked into his eyes…

And the kiss? They kissed several times… but only on the forehead or the lips… she blushed at that thought.

Was Rin right? Did these simple gestures mean what she had secretly been hoping for all this time? Did that mean that Inuyasha truly loved her with all his heart and soul like Rin loved Sesshomaru? She didn't pay much thought to anything else for the rest of the evening.

Even when all of Rin's friends came over and they all celebrated Rin's shower, Kagome couldn't help but feel distracted all night. It wasn't until Inuyasha brought Shippo home from a baseball game, and her son running towards her waving around a foam finger did she come out of her trance.

Inuyasha was looking rather pale, and he asked if he could drive her and Shippo home before he went home with Shiori.

As Kagome nodded, she didn't notice that Izayoi, Rin, Shiori and Shippo all giving each other a high five.

_*Inuyasha and Shippo*_

Inuyasha and Shippo were driving home after the game, with Shippo reliving every part of it while waving a foam finger. Inuyasha didn't know what to do make him shut off except by saying, "Yes, Shippo," and "I know Shippo."

After awhile, he gave up and just pretended to listen to the kid talking non-stop. As they continued the ride, Shippo thought that now was a good chance to complete his part of Part 3. He took a deep breath and asked, "Hey, what do you think Shiori and mommy are doing right now?"

"Hmm?" grunted Inuyasha, "Oh, I don't know… probably still talking about how 'cute' the baby's going to be and all other kinds of girly things."

Shippo nodded wisely. "Hey… you know what? Auntie Rin was reading a story to me and Shiori the other day, and it had all kinds of weird sayings and stories in it. Do you want to hear a few of them?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Sure, what are they?"

"Well, one said, 'A woman never forgets the men she could have had; but for a man it's the women he couldn't.' What do you think that meant?"

"Ah…" began Inuyasha, in shock.

"And another said, 'Have you ever wondered which hurts the most: saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wishing you had?' Have you ever heard of that one?"

"Well…" began Inuyasha.

"Oh, and I really liked the one that said, 'Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control.' That's really different don't you think?"

"I… well I…" stuttered Inuyasha, having trouble coming up with an answer.

"Hey! Want to hear about a story that was also in that book?" Shippo said quickly. Without waiting for an answer, he said, "It's a story about this kid who sat in English class when he was in 10th grade. He was staring at his best friend who was sitting next to him. He loved her, but he was sure that she didn't love him back. After class, she walked up to him and asked him for the notes she had missed the other day and he gave them to her. She said "thanks" and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He wanted to ask her to be with him forever… he wanted to be with her, but he never could tell her."

"And when they were in high school, the girl came to him and told him that her date had cancelled on her the day before prom and she asked him if he would want to go to the prom as friends. And they did. After it was over, he was with her at the front door step. She told him that she had a best time and gave him a kiss on the forehead. When they graduated, she went to him in her gown and hat, and cried as he hugged her. Then she told him, "thanks for everything" and gave him a kiss on his forehead."

"A few years later he sat in the pews of a church and he watched the girl he loved get married to someone else. But before she drove away, she came to him and said "you came!" before she then kissed him on the forehead. Years passed, and when he was at the girl's funeral , they read a diary entry she had wrote when she was in high school. This is what it read: I stare at him wishing I could be with him, but he doesn't love me like that, and I know it. I want to tell him, I want him to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love him but I'm just too shy to tell him. I wish he would tell me he loved me! Once he heard that, he cried… wishing that he did too."

Shippo sighed, "Why do you think he never told her that he wanted to be with her?"

Inuyasha had gone very numb from listening to the story, and he hardly noticed the shaking from his hands. "I don't know… maybe… he just couldn't say the words because he was afraid that he would lose her completely?"

Shippo sighed truly confused this time, "I don't get it. If you want to be with someone… then why don't you tell them?"

Inuyasha didn't answer. They spent the rest of the ride in silence. And when they got home, Shippo went running into the house and straight into his mother's arms. As he entered the house, he got a good look at Kagome's face and he saw that she looked a little more tired than usual.

He offered to drop her and Shippo off at her house before he took Shiori home. He was so focused on Kagome's face, that he didn't notice his mother, sister-in-law, Shiori, and Shippo all giving each other a high five.

_*Later*_

He pulled up in Kagome's driveway, and Kagome looked in the backseat to see Shippo and Shiori both fast asleep. Smiling, Kagome took Shippo and carried him in her arms up to the house and waved goodbye to Inuyasha. She took her son inside and just finished getting him ready for bed when she heard a knock on the door.

Confused she tucked Shippo into bed and went down to see who it was. She opened the door to see a very nervous Inuyasha standing there. "Inuyasha?" she said in surprise.

"Ah… Shippo forgot his foam finger," he said as he handed the souvenir to her.

"Oh, thanks," she said as she took the finger. "I'll give it to him when he wakes up tomorrow."

"Good," said Inuyasha in a higher tone than usual. They both stood there in embarrassment for a few minutes before Kagome said, "You know? Halloween is coming up soon. Is Shiori going trick-or-treating this year?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," said Inuyasha quickly.

"That's great! What is Shiori going as?" Kagome asked, trying to make conversation.

"Ah, I don't know. We haven't gone shopping for a costume yet," Inuyasha said slowly.

"I see," Kagome said shyly. "Well I haven't had a chance to get one for Shippo yet so…"

"You want to go take the kids Halloween shopping sometime this week?" Inuyasha said quickly.

"YES!" Kagome said a little too loudly and eagerly. She coughed and said in a calmer tone, "Yeah, that sounds great. Tomorrow? After they're out of school?"

Inuyasha nodded before he gave her two quick kisses… the first on her forehead, and the second on her lips. "I'll be waiting for you."

He left after that… leaving Kagome wondering if this was how Rin felt when she first met Sesshomaru… that feeling of being truly and completely safe?

_'I love you Inuyasha…'_ she thought to herself.

Unbeknownst to them, Shippo who was in his room, and Shiori who was in the car were watching the entire thing. "Step 3 is complete…" whispered Shippo from his window.

"Now onto Step 4…" said Shiori from the car.

**(Hey sorry for taking so long. But i got school tomorrow so i thought that i would put this up before i get the truckload of homework i'm sure to get. Hey, what do you guys think step 4 is going to be? Please review and tell me what you think!)**


	29. Trick or Treat

**Chapter 29: Trick or Treat**

It was Monday and Inuyasha was waiting in his car, impatiently waiting for Kagome, Shippo, and Shiori to leave the school so that they could go and get the kids costumes for Halloween. As he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if he was going to lose his mind, he was suddenly given a flashback on what Shippo said yesterday…

_*Flashback*_

_Shippo sighed, "Why do you think he never told her that he wanted to be with her?"_

_Inuyasha had gone very numb from listening to the story, and he hardly noticed the shaking from his hands. "I don't know… maybe… he just couldn't say the words because he was afraid that he would lose her completely?"_

_Shippo sighed truly confused this time, "I don't get it. If you want to be with someone… then why don't you tell them?"_

_*End of Flashback*_

Why did he think of that all of a sudden? Duh, he was thinking of Kagome again. What should he do? He leaned forward to rest his chin on the wheel and he continued to think about what he wanted… what **did** he want? He wanted to be with Kagome, yes of course, but in what way?

He hadn't felt this confused since Kikyo… did that mean that he wanted to be with Kagome like he had been with Kikyo? He didn't know… and even if he did… he wasn't sure if Kagome felt the same… but he had to think of an answer soon.

As he sat up straight again, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye… but when he looked… no one was there. Strange… he could've sworn that he felt someone was there…

"DADDY!" screamed a little voice that he would know anywhere. He turned to the other side of the car to see Kagome, a kid in each hand, smiling as they were all walking towards the car.

Inuyasha also broke into a smile as he unlocked the door and allowed them all to climb in.

"How did things go today?" he asked as Kagome slid into the front seat.

"It was great!" cried Shiori happily as she reached into her bag and pulled out a paper pumpkin that she made all by herself. "We made jack-o-lanterns today!"

"Really?" said Inuyasha as he looked out the side of the window again, he had the feeling that they were being watched…

"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome curiously as she followed his gaze. "Is something wrong?"

Inuyasha stared out there for a few more minutes before he shook his head and said, "Nothing… guess I imagined it."

He then turned the key and started up the car. "So today we're going costume shopping," he said and earned yells of glee from the backseat and a small chuckle from Kagome.

As they drove off, they didn't see the pair of cold eyes that were staring after them.

_*At the store*_

"What about this one?"

"NO, I like this one."

"But this one's so cute!"

"No way, I'm not going like that!"

"Ok, then what about this?"

The talking between Shiori and Shippo had been going on for awhile now. They had arrived at a costume store and the kids were running around, trying to look at every since outfit and talking seriously about what they wanted to be; for kids hat to take picking out a Halloween costume seriously…. especially when Halloween was only another week away.

"Oh, wait!" yelled Shiori stopping dead and looking at a white costume. "I want this one!"

The costume that she had picked out turned out to be an 'Asian Princess' Costume that came in a white Kimono with flower print, an obi belt and headpiece of a white fan with black and red flowers. "Momma, daddy can I get this one please?" she begged the two adults with all her heart and showing off the saddest puppy dog eyes.

Kagome laughed as she looked over at Inuyasha how shrugged in an 'I don't care' matter.

When Kagome nodded, Shiori let out an excited shriek and gave them both a hug. She took the costume down from off the wall and began looking for Shippo who had just found his own costume.

Can you guess what it was?

"I'm a NINJA!" he yelled while swinging around a toy sword. He ran over to his mother and began to beg with an identical puppy dog pout as Shiori. Kagome looked again at Inuyasha, who said that he would pay for the costumes, and when he didn't make any objections, Kagome nodded to Shippo.

Shippo and Shiori were both saying 'thank you' over and other again as they took the costumes up to the counter and waited to be checked out.

Shippo suddenly asked, "Momma? Where is your costume?"

Kagome looked down at him and said with a small laugh, "Oh Shippo… I think that I'm a little too old to dress up for Halloween."

Shippo then said confused, "But momma, you're not old!"

Kagome laughed with a small blush coming into her face and said, "Thank you! It's nice to think that someone thinks so."

She then felt Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder, and when she turned to look at him he said, "I don't think that you're old at all."

Kagome stared into his eyes, completely forgetting where she was until the cash register rang making her jump. The cashier then handed the pages to her and said, "Hope you all have a happy Halloween."

Kagome gave him a quick 'thank you' and was about to leave with he suddenly said, "Oh, by the way… I heard that there's supposed to be a costume party for adults in the mall Halloween night! I was just wondering if you and your husband would be interested?"

Kagome went bright red as she stared at Inuyasha, who was staring right back before she turned to the cashier and said, "He's not my husband."

Embarrassed, she and Inuyasha didn't notice the happy smiles on Shippo and Shiori… looking happier than when they got their costumes.

Inuyasha then grabbed Kagome's hand and lead her out of the store; smiling kids following close behind.

_*Halloween night*_

Kagome was busy putting on a little make-up when Shippo came jumping into the room, all dressed and ready to go. He was all in black from head to toe and the only part of him that you could see was his red hair and his eyes. He was swinging around a sword and said, "I'm am stealthy as the night… don't I look like silent death?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and said, "Yes Shippo."

Shippo then stood up straight and said rather grumpily, "You aren't even looking!"

Kagome shook her head das she looked down at him and said, "Shippo… you've been wearing that costume all week. I know that you would've worn it to school if I didn't make you change."

Shippo thought that over for a minute before saying, "Yeah… but tonight's Halloween! I have to really look like a ninja! I do right?"

Kagome laughed as she stood up and took Shippo's hand. "Yes, you do," she said as she led him down the stairs. "But if we don't hurry, then we're going to miss all the best candy. Inuyasha should be here soon."

No sooner had she said that when she heard the doorbell rang. Excited, Shippo,ran to the door and opened it to see Inuyasha and Shiori who was dressed in her white princess costume.

"Mommy!" she cried as she ran into Kagome's arms.

Kagome, all too happy to return the hug, looked down at her to see how she looked. Shiori rally did look like Asian Princess, in her white kimono and accessories and when she was standing with Shippo… the cuteness was off the charts. Inuyasha cleared his throat as he stepped into the room.

Kagome looked at him and felt that all-too-familiar smile return to her lips as she said quietly, "Inuyasha…"

"Yeah, ah…" said Inuyasha a little uncomfortably. "Should we all get going?" His question was answered by a pair of screaming and two little kids running out the door with empty sacks.

"Hurry up!" Shippo cried at them as they ran.

"That was a dumb question," said Inuyasha staring at their retreating backs as they headed towards the next door neighbors.

Kagome took his hand as they both headed out the door, "Yeah it was."

_*Later*_

3 hours later, the four of them had been wandering on the streets for hours, watching all the other families running from house to house, telling their kids to remember to say 'thank you' or not to go so fast.

"You know?" said Kagome, "It's starting to get late… and if the kids get any more candy, I think that their teeth are going to rot out of their heads."

Inuyasha shrugged, "They both have baby teeth… they're going to lose them anyway."

Kagome rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah… but it's getting late and isn't there a curfew for kids? Besides, I think that they have had enough for one night don't you?"

"I don't know," said Inuyasha with a light laugh, "I think that they could go all night with the sugar rush that they're on."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said warningly.

_*Shippo and Shiori*_

Shippo and Shiori were a little ways ahead and were talking happily to each other while they were counting their candy.

"So Shippo," said Shiori quietly as she looked back at their parents. "When are we going to start Step 4?"

"Shhh…" said Shippo also looking back at them before saying, "Step 4 is going to take awhile. We have to wait until the perfect time."

As Shiori nodded in agreement, Kagome's voice called out to them, "Shippo? Shiori? I think that that's enough for one night don't you think?"

They both looked at her and gave identical sounds of "Awwwww…"

"Your mother's right kids!" shouted Inuyasha. "Besides, it's almost your bedtime." As Shippo and Shiori both trudged their way back to them, Inuyasha said to Kagome, "Think we made the right choice?"

Kagome smiled as she nodded and they all began the long walk back to Kagome's house.

Shippo and Shiori were both counting candy and trading with each other as Inuyasha and Kagome spent most of the walk home in silence. It wasn't until they arrived at Kagome's house and when Shippo said goodbye to Inuyasha and Shiori and dash into the house while Shiori headed towards the car did Inuyasha say, "Well… tonight was… fun."

"Yeah…" said Kagome as Inuyasha walked her up to the house.

"I'll see you tomorrow right?" asked Inuyasha as Kagome stood in the doorway.

"Of course," said Kagome laughing. "Inuyasha… we see each other every day. You know? Maybe we could use a break from seeing each other?" It was one of the last things that Kagome wanted to do. She couldn't imagine not seeing him or Shiori for even a little amount of time. Just the nights apart were hard on her.

Inuyasha laughed as he took her hands, "No way… if we took a break from seeing each other… I'd spend the entire time waiting for you to come back." He then gave her a kiss before he turned and walked back towards the car.

As he left, Inuyasha thought, _'Maybe… maybe I'll ask her… but not tonight… tonight isn't time.'_

Shiori looked out her window as Inuyasha began to start up the car. She waved goodbye to her adopted mother and looked up to see Shippo's face in one of the upstairs windows. He waved before holding up 4 fingers…

Shiori nodded. She knew that Shippo was telling her to wait until the right time to begin Step 4. Only Step 4… and Step 5 to go… and if everything went according to plan…

Shiori smiled as she began to daydream of wedding bells and Kagome in a long white dress standing with her father. _'Only 2 steps left to go…'_ she thought as Inuyasha drove off. _'And then… Kagome really WILL be my mommy.'_


	30. What Do You Want?

**Chapter 30: What Do You Want?**

_*A couple of weeks later*_

"Daddy!" Shiori screamed around 6 in the morning on Wednesday at her father, who was still in bed. A muffled sound came from the sleeping form.

"Daddy we gotta hurry!" she yelled as she ran over to the side of the bed and began to shake Inuyasha.

The man groaned, pulling the warm covers over his head, feeling too lazy to get out of the warm bed.

"Daddy wants to sleep runt," he mumbled from inside his covers. The little girl pouted, somehow today of all days her dear father decides to be lazy. She looked at the calendar on the wall to see the square that said November 15th before she let out a sigh.

"Daddy don't you remember what today is?" she asked at the bulge on the bed.

"No," her father mumbled into the pillow.

"Today is my birthday, daddy," Shiori's lips trembled and her hearing seemed to muffle as she felt her heart began to sink that her father had forgotten that today was her birthday.

Inuyasha sat bolt-upright as the realization hit him hard; he looked at the little girl whimpering on the floor and was mentally kicking himself.

"Runt, I… of course I remember… how can I forget your birthday?" he continued desperately trying to convince her.

The softness of her eyes that met him reminded him of… Kagome? _'Now that I think of it,' _Inuyasha thought,_ 'Shiori acts a lot like Kagome in so many ways… there are even times where I swear that I can see her in Shiori…'_

He kneeled in front of her his hand wiping away unshed tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry runt if I forgot… I am horrible parent for not remembering that it was your birthday today." Inuyasha's voice was in a rough but gentle sort of way. "It's just I've had a lot on my mind lately. But I promise that I'll make it up to you, I pinky swear," Inuyasha promised, bringing his pinky out, Shiori smiled and brought out her little pinky out as well.

"So am I forgiven runt?" Inuyasha asked giving Shiori is best puppy face. Shiori threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck as she placed a wet kiss on his cheek.

"Yup," she said as her father picked her up, she sighed and relaxed, snuggling closer into Inuyasha.

"I love you daddy," she muffled out.

"I love you too, runt… but if you tell anyone that I said that, then my students will be afraid of me again. They think that I'm a hard, cold, and rude pain in the…"

"Daddy!" Shiori said laughing.

Inuyasha joined in laughing as both got ready for the day.

_*Later at school*_

"Kagome!" Koga yelled frantically looking around until he saw her decorating the trees around the yard with the help of all the children in the school for today was a very special day.

"Kagome!" Kagome looked around wondering who had called her, until she noticed Koga.

"What is it Koga?" she asked as she nodded towards the students to keep working while she walked over to Koga. Koga looked nervous and a little troubled as he looked Kagome straight into her brown eyes.

"I'm in love Kagome," he confessed. Kagome didn't look a bit stunned, obviously use to Koga's declarations of love every year.

"I know Koga, you have told me that about… let's see what's the number now?" She counted her fingers, "Almost 1000 times?"

"I know, but I… unfortunately I have to let my love for you go, my dear Kagome." He grabbed both of her hands and took in a deep breath as Kagome continued to listen.

"What?" she asked slightly not understanding.

"Dear Kagome… I know that you and that guy Inuytrasha or whatever like each other, I'm not that blind," he winked, making Kagome blush.

"Koga… I, well, um…" she tried to explain.

"It's okay Kagome, I will always love you," Koga said as he kissed her hands, a deep blush covering her face. "But I must confess something else to you as well," he continued, Kagome felt curious and anxious.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked.

"I am seeing someone," he confessed, looking at Kagome for any signs of hurt.

"Koga, really? That's great! I'm so happy for you!" she beamed as Koga smiled as well.

"So you're not mad at me?" he questioned, as Kagome nodded barely able to contain her excitement.

"Of course not, I am truly happy for you Koga, so who is the lucky girl?"

Koga blushed and fidgeted as he answered Kagome's question.

"Well she is pretty girl that I met in the park about a week ago. She is a red head, green eyes, is a wolf demon, she's tough as nails, and I dunno… it was like something clicked. It was an instant connection."

"What's her name?" Kagome asked.

"Ayame…" Koga answered a little dreamily.

"Well, I hope you and Ayame get along with each other," Kagome smiled, making Koga return the smile as well.

"Yeah. I hope you and dog boy… I mean Inuyasha get along too," he finally said, but the reaction he received wasn't the one he was expecting.

"I don't know Koga. I just don't know what could happen between us. I mean… I guess I'm just afraid that if we go to fast then things will fall apart. I don't want that."

Koga reached out and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Kagome? What do you want?" he asked deadly serious.

Kagome blinked in surprise and answered after a few minutes, "I-I don't know."

"Well, don't you think that maybe you need to figure out what you want before you do anything else right?" Koga asked.

Kagome let out a sad sigh. "I don't know Koga, maybe but… I'm not sure anymore," she finished, Koga nodded and asked her if she needed any help with the decorations.

"Yeah," Kagome said, glad that he had changed the subject. "I need your help to finish putting up the streamers in the classroom."

Koga let his hands fall before he nodded and turned to go back into the school. But before he left, Kagome walked up to him and gave him a quick hug. As she pulled away, Koga asked, "What was that for?"

Kagome shrugged, "I don't know. Just for being here? And I guess I just needed a hug right now."

Koga smirked and said, "I'll take your hugs any old day. But I'm afraid that you just have to let your love for me go Kagome. I'm with someone else now."

Kagome fought with great difficultly not to roll her eyes as she nodded and he went back into the building.

A few minutes later, as she was helping some of the kids blow up some balloons, Shippo came running over to her and gave her a hug. "Momma? When does the party start?"

"When everyone gets here sweetheart," said Kagome. At that moment, they both heard a very familiar voice call out.

"MOMMY! SHIPPO!"

Both mother and son turned towards the gate to see a tiny figure dressed all in pink and with bright blue ribbons in her hair running towards them with a big smile on her face.

"Shiori," Kagome said as she reached out and enveloped the child in motherly hug, Shiori giggled as she then waved over at her father who was standing at the gate.

"Momma," said Shiori looking around at the decorations. "What's with all the party stuff?"

"Someone's birthday is today," said Kagome as she put the child down.

"WHAT?" Shiori said sounding disappointed. She then turned towards Inuyasha when he got close enough and asked him almost angrily, "Daddy, why did you tell mommy? I wanted to tell her!"

"Tell her what?" Inuyasha asked confused.

"That today's my birthday!"

Inuyasha blinked. "I didn't tell her. Why?"

"Wait," said Shippo slowly as he looked from Shiori to Inuyasha and back again. "Today's your birthday Shiori?" he asked slowly as if thinking he heard wrong.

"Yeah," said Shiori now really confused. If they weren't talking about her birthday, then whose?

Kagome's and Shippo's mouths both dropped. They both looked at each other before looking back at Inuyasha and Shiori before starting to laugh.

"What?" demanded Inuyasha wondering what the heck what was so funny. "What's the problem that Shiori's birthday?"

"Shiori's birthday is **today**!" said Shippo as he continued to laugh.

Shiori cocked her head in confusion. "Yeah. So what's so funny?"

"'Cause, today's MY birthday too!" said Shippo as if it was obvious. "That's why we're putting up decorations. Mommy celebrates everyone's birthday!"

"What?" said Inuyasha surprised. "You serious?"

"Yeah," said Kagome who had stopped laughing. "I celebrate all of my student's birthdays. And all the kids who have birthdays in the summer, we celebrate with them on…"

"No, I mean is today really Shippo's birthday?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes," said Kagome calmly. "Today he's 6 years old. What are the odds that Shiori's birthday is today?" She then bent down and gave Shiori another hug, "Happy birthday, Shiori."

"Well," said Shiori, "At least you didn't forget Shippo's birthday!"

"What do you mean by that Shiori?" asked Kagome as she stood up straight again.

"Mommy… daddy forgot my birthday," Shiori pouted as Kagome patted the little girl's head.

"Really?" she asked as Inuyasha walked over so that he was standing next to her with a small smile on his face.

"I said I would make it up to her, and I never break a promise," he said looking down at Shiori, who only nodded in return, as she shifted her attention back to Kagome.

"Yup. There's supposed to be a festival in town tonight and he said he is going to take me to go and see it! Mommy, and Shippo can come too, right daddy?" she asked Inuyasha hopefully. "It's Shippo's birthday, so we have to celebrate it too!"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and asked her if she would like to join them.

Shippo began to jump up and down in excitement and begged to go. Kagome pretended to think it over before saying, "Why not?" Kagome allowed herself a knowing smile.

Inuyasha felt his insides melt at the sight of Kagome's smile. But before he could say anything, he felt Shiori pulling on his shirt. When he looked down she asked, "Daddy? Don't you have to go to work?" Inuyasha looked at his watch before realizing that he was almost half an hour late.

"Oh shit!" he yelled as he kissed Shiori on the cheek and giving Kagome a quick peck before she had any chance to argue about the language Inuyasha had use. As he left, he ruffled Shippo's hair and ran towards the parking lot, leaving the others staring after him.

_'That man,'_ Kagome thought to herself as she shook her head. Kagome continued to stare after him until she felt Shiori pull her skirt, breaking her thoughts. Kagome looked down at Shiori, as she asked her what was wrong.

"Mommy? What does 'shit' mean?" Shiori asked innocently up at the Kagome.

"Yeah mom. What is it?" Shippo said as he waited for an answer.

Kagome couldn't push the blush from her face and blinked rapidly, as she registered what they were asking.

_'Inuyasha!'_ her thoughts screamed as she tried to think of an answer.

Shiori and Shippo looked up at her confused, wondering what was wrong. Kagome kneeled down to Shiori's level and told her as well as she could.

"Kids? Never repeat what your father had said, it's a very, very bad word." She then took their hands and led them inside. "Come on. Now we have TWO birthdays to celebrate today!"

_'That man, ugh…'_ Kagome thought as the kids both let out shouts of joy and began talking rapid fast. Kagome took a deep breath and decided that Inuyasha would get a piece of her mind; as she put everything aside and walked through the front doors. But as they entered, she started to laugh again.


	31. Never End Please!

**Chapter 31: Never End Please! **

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIPPO!" the entire class cried out as they all ran out the door when the bell rang, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIORI!"

Shippo and Shiori both waved goodbye and cried out words of 'thank you' as they finished getting ready to leave. As they finished packing away their stuff, Kagome came into the classroom, a present in each hand. In her right, she carried a bright blue present with aqua-colored ribbon; in the left, she carried a bright pink with a white ribbon.

"Mommy?" Shippo said hopefully as he saw the presents in his mother's arms.

"Ok," Kagome said smiling. "During snack time, I went to the store really quick so that I could get a present for you and Shiori."

Shiori's eyes lit up and jumped around as she followed Shippo and went running up to Kagome and hugged her around the knees. "THANK YOU MOMMY!" she cried.

Kagome laughed as she handed the blue to Shippo, and the pink to Shiori… and they didn't waste any time ripping of the wrapping paper.

"WOW!" yelled Shippo, holding up a large top. "THANK YOU!" he screamed and hugged his mom. Kagome was about to say 'you're welcome' when they heard another shriek of excitement. Shiori had just finished unwrapping a bright red ball that looked as if there was coral inside it. (Shiori's crystal from the anime if you're confused, just in a ball form.)

After all the 'thank you's' and 'your welcome's' Shippo and Shiori sat on the stairs of the building both sighing, wishing that Inuyasha would get here so that they could go to the festival.

"Daddy is late," Shiori lamented looking out at the setting sun, wondering what would be taking her father so long. Kagome came out a smile on her face as she looked at the two kids.

"So you both excited to go to the festival tonight, Shippo, Shiori?" she asked, into which the two kids mood changed as they both began to chatter on and on about what they were going to do as soon as Inuyasha got here and drove them all to the festival.

"I want to play games and win the prizes," Shippo laughed which made Kagome giggle as well.

"I want to get a pet goldfish!" Shiori said as she began to toss her new ball up and down.

"Why?" Shippo asked her, "Uncle Sota says that those fish die if you look at them funny." Shiori pouted and feh'd, which made Kagome laugh right out.

_'She is definitely Inuyasha's child' _she thought as she looked up at the gate. _'Well, speak of the devil.' _Just at that moment, Inuyasha was walking towards them, with several gifts under his arm as headed to the others that were waiting for him.

"Sorry I'm late runt, Shippo, Kagome."

"It's okay daddy," Shiori said as her father handed a gift, she opened it, and gasped at what she saw. It was a blue kimono with yellow goldfish prints and light blue bubbles.

"It's so pretty!" Shiori exclaimed taking out the kimono and feeling the cotton clothing between her fingers.

"This one is for you Kagome. Sango helped choose it," he said giving her the present rather roughly as he blushed. Kagome opened it and gasped as she carefully took out a light blue kimono with sakura blossoms on it.

"Thank you Inuyasha, I love it!" Kagome said as she examined the beautiful kimono.

Inuyasha blushed even redder if possible and handed a gift to Shippo, which turned out to be what every kid hopes for…

"CANDY!" Shippo yelled happily and began to suck on a large lollipop. Kagome shook her head, great now her son was going to be bouncing off the walls all night.

"Daddy hurries, we need to go and get ready," Shiori asked eager to go and win herself a goldfish.

"Well first we need to get you dressed and then we can go," Kagome said as Inuyasha picked Shiori grinning. Shiori nodded and planted a wet kiss onto her father's cheek. Kagome saw the interaction between father and daughter, a small sad smile appeared on her face as she thought of her own daughter. _'I would've had 6 wonderful birthdays with her and Shippo,' _she thought sadly.

"Kagome are you alright?" It was Inuyasha who had spoken, confused of the look Kagome was giving them.

Kagome shook her head and replied a quick yes as she took Shiori's hand and they both went to go and change inside the building.

_*Later*_

"Why does it take girls so long to get ready to go anywhere?" whined Shippo.

Inuyasha shrugged, "Just one of the great mysteries of life." He then turned to yell into the building, "Kagome are you two ready yet? It's been almost an hour!"

"We are almost done Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice yelled back.

_*Kagome and Shiori*_

"Your father can so impatient," Kagome told Shiori as the little girl nodded knowingly.

_*5 minutes later*_

Inuyasha and Shippo waited impatiently on the front steps, looking at Inuyasha's watch before looking back at the front doors.

"We are done Inuyasha!" they suddenly heard a sweet voice say from behind. He turned around as a deep blush tainting his face.

Kagome smiled brilliantly at him and his heart did a funny little skip. She wore the kimono that he had bought for her, which was tied around her slender waist by a bright red obi. Her hair hadn't been tied back in a braid nor let loose with a simple brush. It had been painstakingly curled and set in place so it resembled nothing less than the shiniest raven's wing. Her skin had been polished so neat he could see the lights around them reflected in her flawless skin and her eyes shined with mischief and laughter.

His daughter came out, and her hair had been done up with a couple of gentle pigtails, that were braided and then wrapped around to the back of her head and braided together to form a long shimmering plait. Her eyes were shinning with excitement and she looked as if she was ready to take on the world single-handed.

"How do I look papa?" Shiori asked as she spun around to show her father every angle. "Mommy did a great job don't you think?"

"You look very cute, runt," he patted the little girls' head as she giggled, she then went over to Shippo, who seemed to be stunned beyond belief.

"Cute?" Kagome said as if insulted. "Shiori's not cute! She's nothing short of completely adorable!" Kagome beamed at the small girl looking at herself in the small mirror that Kagome had given her. Shiori blushed as she turned around, her kimono fluttering as she did.

Shiori merely smiled as her father's gaze landed to the woman beside her.

"How do I look Inuyasha?" The sweet voice said nervously as a small blush made it to her face.

"You look beautiful, Kagome," Inuyasha answered still at awed.

"We should go or were going to miss the whole thing," Kagome said grabbing hold of Shiori's and Shippo's hands as they made their ways down the stairs.

_'We two were the ones that kept us waiting,' _thought Inuyasha a little grumpily.

"About time!" Shippo said indigently. "I thought that you said that it wasn't going to take long."

"It didn't take long," said Kagome calmly.

"You were in there for almost an hour!" Shippo said loudly.

"Yes, well, time for getting ready is different for women than for men," Kagome replied.

"But I thought…" Shippo began really confused now.

"You say tomato I say a burger and a coke. Speaking of which, I'm starving," said Kagome as she called over her shoulder, "Come on Inuyasha! We don't want to be late!"

_*Much Later, Shippo and Shiori*_

They were walking through the booths, each of them filled with lights, fun and children. It was around 9:00 and Kagome knew that it would soon be time to take the kids home. Kagome and Inuyasha were walking right behind the kids who were running to try to get a look at everything before they would be forced to go home.

"Shippo?" Shiori asked as she began to suck on an ice-cream that her father had bought for her. "When are we going to go for Part 4? It's been a long time now…"

Shippo nodded. "Yes, I know that it's hard to wait. But we still have to wait for Christmas next month for us to begin Part 4. Once we finish 4 we'll have Part 5 next spring… remember what grandma said? We have to be careful and take our time or else we could end up messing everything up. Don't worry. By the end of spring… if everything goes according to plan… we should all be a family!"

Shiori smiled and nodded. "So now all we have to do is wait for Christmas… and then for next spring. I guess I can wait that long."

"Great!" said Shippo, taking her hand and pulling her along to go and try to win some of the games from one of the many booths, "In the meantime, let's have some fun!"

_*Kagome and Inuyasha*_

After another hour of fun and games, Shippo and Shiori were both so tired that Inuyasha had to carry them both back to the car, and Kagome had to carry all the prizes and toys that they won. (Including Shiori's new pet fish)

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as they reached the car and put the two sleeping kids in the backseat. "Do you ever get the feeling that Shippo and Shiori are scheming anything? Sometimes I get the feeling that they know something that I don't."

Inuyasha nodded. "I think that they're up to something… but they're just kids right? What harm can they do?"

Kagome thought that over for a minute before she nodded. She knew that if they were planning anything, that it couldn't possibly be anything bad. So she just put all the toys in the trunk and climbed into the front seat, beside Inuyasha and enjoyed the feeling of being off her feet.

As they drove home, they didn't talk or did anything, they just savored each other's presence and the peaceful silence that surrounded them like some kind of magic aura. When they arrived at Kagome's house, Inuyasha took Shippo's prizes from the trunk as Kagome picked her son up and carried him into the house.

She told Inuyasha to just put the toys in the living room as she put Shippo up to bed. She had expected him to be gone by the time she had finished… so she was surprised to see that he was waiting in the doorway, staring up at the sky.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she came back downstairs.

Inuyasha smiled before he gestured to look up at the sky…

The heavenly vault was alive with twinkling stars set into a velvety blackness. The wide ribbon of the Milky Way stretched across the sky exactly like the river the ancients believed it to be. "Beautiful," she breathed, taking in the beauty of the starscape, unspoiled by city lights or exhaust fumes. Inuyasha merely grunted in reply; she sneaked a quick peek in his direction to admire the thick waves of silver hair spilling down his back as well as the strong lines of his throat and jaw. Afraid he would catch her ogling, she knew that the sky was a safer viewing area, she again admired the starry reaches but remained completely, utterly aware of the solid, warm presence to her right… and of how much she would miss him if they were separated for any length of time.

She didn't know how long they stood there, but long enough for Inuyasha to realize that he had to take Shiori home. He turned to her and gave her a long kiss… a very long kiss… a very, very long kiss before he turned and headed towards the car.

Leaving Kagome wishing on every star in the sky that their next kiss would never end.


	32. Goodbye Note

**Chapter 32: Goodbye Note **

"But Mamma!" complained Shippo from the back seat besides Sota. "Why can't dad and Shiori come with us to visit grandpa?"

"Because Shippo," Kagome sighed for the millionth time this morning. "It's almost Thanksgiving and I'm sure that Inuyasha and Shiori want to spend it with their family."

"Aren't they apart of this family?" Shippo demanded.

"It's complicated," Hitomi answered, sparing Kagome the chance to explain.

Kagome, Sota, Hitomi, and Shippo were all driving to the airport to go and visit Hayato for Thanksgiving; Hitomi had more than happily offered to drive them all to their flight and make it easier for them. Inuyasha and Shiori had offered for to come along, but Kagome insisted that they stay and to spend the holiday with their family.

So now Kagome and Shippo weren't going to see Inuyasha and Shiori for the next 5 days… she could tell that it was going to be a long trip.

Not that she didn't want to see her father… she just wished that Inuyasha was beside her.

"Come on Shippo," said Sota typing on his laptop as usual and trying to cheer up his nephew. "You see them every day! I think that it will be good if we all spent some time away from people for awhile don't you?"

"Then does that include me Sota?" Hitomi said sweetly from the front seat as she batted her eyelashes causing Sota to blush and stutter.

"Ah-w-well I di-didn't m-m-mean…"

Kagome grinned. She loved how Hitomi had Sota wrapped around her fingers.

"Shippo?" Hitomi said soothing, "I think what your uncle means is… if you spend some time away from the people you care about, you realize just how much they mean to you. And so when you see them again, it's like… like a new appreciation for that person."

"Really?" asked Shippo surprised.

"Yes," replied Hitomi. "Just think of it this way, the more you miss them… the more special the reunion will be when you get back."

"Oh," said Shippo thoughtfully. "OK."

Kagome smirked at that… and also how excited she was going to be when she next saw Inuyasha.

_*The airport*_

Kagome gave Hitomi a hug as Shippo and Sota got their bags out of the car. "So," Hitomi asked, "Am I going to pick you guys up? Or is it Inuyasha?" As she said that last part, she gave Kagome an evil smirk.

Kagome blushed, "Inuyasha said that he would be more than happy then to come and get us."

"Huh huh," said Hitomi. "I'm sure that he would." She looked over at the boys for a minute before she whispered, "Kagome? Do you like Inuyasha? I mean… what's your relationship? I know that this isn't any of my business… but… I just need to know. What do you want?"

Kagome blushed even redder before she said more to herself than to Hitomi, "I I-I don't know anymore. I really don't know Hitomi."

Hitomi looked disappointed, but she nodded as she let it go. "Maybe you should talk to your dad about this? He seems to be very good at considering other people's feelings, and has a gift of telling them the exact things they need to hear."

Kagome blinked. She never thought about it… but she realized that she was right. Whenever that Kagome needed advice or someone to talk to… her dad was always the only one that seemed to be able to tell her the things that made life easier. She was sure that her dad could help her…

Slightly cheered by this she gave her friend a small smile and another hug. "Thanks Hitomi."

Hitomi went to Shippo gave him a hug and a smile before she went to Sota and gave him a long kiss before she jumped into the car and drove off. But before she left, she called out her window, "HAVE A GOOD TIME!"

Kagome laughed as she took her bag in one arm, and Shippo's hand in another before saying to Sota as they walked into the airport, "You know? I love that girl."

"Yeah…" said Sota a little dreamy. "I love her too."

_*On the plane*_

"Mommy?" Shippo asked as he looked out the window excitedly. "When do we take off?"

"It should be soon, Shippo," Kagome said as she pulled out a few small toys and a snack for Shippo from her purse and a book for herself. "Now please sit down. We don't want to make the flight attendants mad at us."

Shippo sat down but said, "But then why does uncle Sota say that you can say whatever you want to the flight attendants and they have to be nice to you."

Kagome looked across the aisle to glare at her brother who smiled sheepishly. "That's because your uncle is an idiot who needs some help."

Just as Shippo began to laugh, the plane began to move forward.

"YEA!" he screamed beginning to hop up and down until his mother grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him down. "Shippo put your seatbelt on and calm down."

_*In the air*_

Once they were up in the air, Shippo was allowed to take off his seat beat and look out the window at the city getting smaller and smaller as they flew higher and higher.

"Wow," Shippo said as he looked at the city below him. "Mommy, the cars look like my cars at home! And the houses! They look like bugs can live in them!"

"Yes," Kagome said as she opened her book and began to catch up on her reading. But as she opened the cover, a piece of paper fell out.

As a confused Kagome bent over to pick it up, she felt her eyes begin to water when she saw what it was.

It was a drawing from Shiori.

It was a picture of an airplane up at the top and two figures, that she knew had to be Inuyasha and Shiori, at the bottom. The two figures both had frowny faces on and the figure of Shiori seemed to have tears falling down her face.

In the center of the drawing, written in big words were, "I'LL MISS YOU MOMMY! COME BACK SOON WITH SHIPPO!" Kagome put her hand over her lips as she fought the tears.

"Mom?" Shippo asked as he heard a small sob from next to him. "Mommy? What's wrong? Are you ok? Why are you so sad?"

Kagome wiped her watery eyes and said, "Nothing Shippo. I just wish Shiori and Inuyasha were coming with us to visit grandpa."

_*Shiori and Izayoi*_

Shiori was sitting with Izayoi in the dining room and they were busy planning for Thanksgiving. "And so… if we have the decorations up like this we can…" began Izayoi until she noticed that Shiori wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to what she was saying.

Izayoi put down the decoration samples and said, "It's ok hon." She put her hand on Shiori's shoulder before continuing, "Kagome and Shippo will be back before you know it."

"Yeah," said Shiori sadly. She was quiet for a minute before she said, "Grandma? I know that Kagome's not my real mommy, but I can't help but feel like she is. I can't help but feel like she truly is my mommy and Shippo is my brother."

Izayoi took her hand and squeezed it. "I know dear. Kikyo died only a little while after you were born. She was so looking forward to becoming a mother and was so excited when she heard that she was going to have a little girl. The whole family was devastated after her death. I miss the dear girl… but I am glad to see someone in both your and Inuyasha's life again. But do you think that Kagome would be happy to see you sitting here moping?"

Shiori thought it over for a minute before she smile and shook her head. "Nope, ok let's get back to work."

Izayoi nodded and handed her a few more decorations, "We only have a few days to get ready!"

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha was just telling his students to hurry up and get lost before he really got angry. Ever since Kagome left, the world just seemed to be… cloudy. Like the sun had hid behind the clouds and it was beginning to rain. And because of that, he was acting like a drill sergeant to his students who were going to go home moaning and groaning today.

He finished putting his stuff away as he sighed and began to lock up. He guessed that what his mother once said to him is true… absence makes the heart grow fonder.

He checked his watch again… only 4 days, 16 hours, and 23 minutes to go until Kagome and Shippo come back.


	33. Be the Poem

**Chapter 33: Be the Poem **

_*7 hours later*_

Kagome was carrying a sleeping Shippo in her arms out of the airport, while Hayato and Sota carried the bags out into the open air and towards their father's car.

"So," her father asked as they all climbed in and he started up the engine. "How have things been going?"

"Great!" said Sota happily. "I'm passing all my classes like you want dad. Hitomi's doing great. She wanted to come to see you too. But she has her own family to go to this weekend. But anyway…"

Sota went on and on as they drove towards the house… Kagome was barely listening. She just held Shippo in her arms and watched as the scenery went flying by… and lost in thoughts. By the time that her brother finally stopped talking did her father turn his head towards the back seat and asked, "What about you Kagome?"

"Huh?" Kagome said startled. "Oh nothing."

"Hmm," her dad said and Kagome knew that tone. It meant that her dad didn't believe her. Thankfully, she was spared the chance to explain herself when they finally arrived at her father's house.

Her father's house was just as she remembered it. It was a large Victorian house made of a chocolate-brown wood and dark navy-blue roof shingles and shining white windows that sparkled in the afternoon light. The grass was a bright emerald green and was well kept and a fence so white that it was almost blinding surrounded the area. Ever have that feeling of coming home after a long, long trip and just glad to be there? Kagome had that feeling of coming home.

Kagome got out of the car and smiled at her sleeping son as she moved him to her other arm and began to help carrying the bags inside.

_*Inside* _

Kagome had walked upstairs to the spare bedroom and put Shippo to bed. Once she had made sure that he was comfortable, she quietly left the room to walk down the hallway to her own bedroom. She opened the door and let out a happy sigh.

Her room was just as she had left it… her old bed, the dresser, the mirror in the corner, along with her old childhood posters of boy bands and her stuffed animals. Kagome walked over and collapsed onto her bed, tried from the trip and wanting to drop off so that she wouldn't have to think anymore.

"Kagome?" a familiar voice suddenly called quietly from outside her door.

Kagome rolled over and sat up, "Yes dad?"

Her father quietly slipped into the room and shut the door behind him… he gave her a strange look…

_'Oh no,'_ she thought. She knew what was coming. She knew exactly what he was going to say next…

"Do you want to talk about anything?" her father asked.

"I saw that one coming," Kagome said to herself, causing her father to chuckle slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand. "Force of habit. Whenever you came home and had a problem, I knew. And I couldn't help but ask if you wanted to talk about."

"Yeah," Kagome said remembering all too well. "I understand now why you never made me tell you what the problem was. No matter what happened, if I said that I didn't want to talk about it, you just let it drop. And then, before you would leave the room, I would crack and tell you everything."

He smiled. "Forcing you to tell me what the problem was wouldn't have changed anything. And besides, I knew that you would tell me sooner or later."

Kagome smirked. "Yeah. I never could hide anything from you."

"Never could… you never will."

"Dad."

He laughed again, "So do you want to talk about it?"

She sighed as she leaned back and asked, "Dad… am I a horrible person?"

"What on earth makes you think that?" her dad asked surprised. "Is this have to do with Inuyasha?"

"Yes… and no," Kagome answered laying her arm across her eyes.

"And you criticize me for being vague," dad said.

"I don't know anymore dad," Kagome said truthfully. "I mean… I really like Inuyasha. I never felt this way about anyone. And I just adore Shiori… and I know that Shippo loves them too…"

"But?" her dad cut in.

"But I don't know what to do. Sometimes I think I want one thing… and other times… oh I don't know anymore dad. I just wish I knew what to do."

"Well, I'm afraid that you're the only one who can answer that," was her father's typical answer.

"I thought that you would say something like that," she said unhappily. "You always used to give me advice that sounded just like it…"

"And in the end, you found the answer yourself," he finished for her. Kagome let out an annoyed breath of air as she raised her head to look at him.

"But I need to know what I should do dad now," she said, almost in a begging way.

Her father began to stroke her hand, "You just want me to tell you what you should do. I'm afraid that it's not my place to tell you what to do anymore. But it would help if I knew exactly what the problem was."

"That's the problem," said Kagome leaning her head back onto her pillow. "I don't know what I want anymore."

"Exactly what is this about? I'm not sure that I understand. I thought that you told me over the phone that you and Inuyasha were getting along great."

"We are. That's the big part of the problem."

"Oh," her dad said who sounded like he was beginning to get what this was about. They were both quiet for a moment before her father then asked the one thing that was on everybody else's mind for a long time.

"Do you love him?"

Kagome shut her eyes as a sob came up from her throat. "I don't know," she said sounding close to tears. "I just don't know anymore. I mean… it just started out as me being Shiori's teacher… and then he and I becoming friends and now… oh dad…" Kagome stood up and began to pace around the room.

"I mean… I don't have the slightest idea what to do. I never felt like this before… and… and it's scaring me! And I don't have the slightest idea what Inuyasha thinks. Dad… please help me. Please tell me what I should do," Kagome begged as she stopped pacing and stared at him, confusion and fear in her eyes.

Her father only gave her a sad smile as he held out his arm, motioning for her to sit next to him again. Kagome took the invitation all too happily as she leaned her head against her father's shoulder, thinking that she might start crying. "I'm sorry… for acting like this I just…"

"Don't be," dad said soothingly. "Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth."

"How very poetic dad," Kagome said sarcastically.

He chuckled again as he brushed his hand through her hair, "I'm sorry. But I can't help you with this. I wish I could. But this is something that you need to work out with Inuyasha."

"Dad I can't!" Kagome said loudly. "I can't tell him what I want, if I don't even know what **I** want."

"Don't you?" her dad said vaguely. "Oh I think that you do know what you want… the problem is that you're too scared to admit it.

"What do you mean? I don't understand," Kagome said shaking her head. "I just wish I had someone tell me what I should do."

"Hun, if you're in this world for answers… then you've come to the wrong place. And if you're doing what you're doing because that's the way that others do it… then you're definitely in the wrong place," her dad said as he began to rub her back in a comforting way.

"But…" Kagome began before her father cut her off.

"This is your life Kagome. And you have to live it the way that you want to. Not because of what others say you should do. If you ask me, "Be yourself" is about the worst advice you can give some people."

"What do you mean?" Kagome said, wondering where her dad was going with this.

"What I mean is learn to be… learn to be what you want to be," he said calmly.

"Oh well," Kagome said a little angry as she sat up straight. "That's about as clear as mud."

Her dad then put both of his hands on either side of her face and forced her to look at him, "Kagome… Be what you want and say what you feel, because if you were supposed to be otherwise, you would've been created that way."

"But what happens if you don't know what you want?" Kagome said desperately. "I don't know anymore. I thought I did, but now I'm just confused."

"Kagome, if you don't know, then I certainly don't," her father said in that voice that he knew calmed her down. "This is a question that I can't help you with… but there is someone out there who can, and it's him that you need to talk to."

Kagome lowered her gaze, "Inuyasha?"

"Well I sure don't mean your brother," dad said.

Kagome let out a strangled laugh.

"Kagome…" her dad said seriously. "Take it from me. It's better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you aren't. You were born an original; don't die a copy. Don't become what everyone else wants you to do." He gave her a long hug before standing up.

"Dinner is going to be ready soon. We'll talk more after we eat. Sound good?"

Kagome nodded.

"Yeah. I'm sorry dad… I just wish that I had the answers…"

"Oh I'm sure that you'll figure it out… but… if you can be a poet, be the poem."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kagome said as she watched her dad head towards her door. He turned to her and said with an elf-like smile, "Bend your mind to the problem. I'm sure that you'll figure it out."

He then left, closing the door behind him as he did; leaving Kagome staring after him.

"I hate when he does that," she said to herself.


	34. Dad Talk

**Chapter 34: Dad Talk**

Kagome and her father were taking a walk around the back yard, while Shippo and Sota were in the living room watching a football game. Kagome was looking up at the many trees that had all turned deep gold's and reds as she wrapped her coat around her tighter.

"So spill it," her dad said as he put his arm on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it, or not?"

Kagome could only sigh as she leaned in closer to him. "I don't know dad. I truly don't know what to do."

Dad was quiet for a moment before he went on, "You never did answer my question from before… do you love him?"

Kagome stopped walking. "Yes," she said quietly, "But I'm scared too."

Her dad just nodded. "I can't say that I'm surprised. After what happened with that no good Hobo," Kagome smiled, "I'm not too shocked that you're afraid to take the plunge. But I don't think that you need to keep comparing every boy you meet to Hobo."

"Dad," Kagome said warningly. "I don't do that." She shut her mouth for a moment before asking, "Do I?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her closely to him again. "Yes and no. I know that you want to belong someplace again, but you're so scared of getting hurt that I think that you just rather play it safe."

He held up his hand as she opened her mouth and went on, "I'm just saying. You shouldn't be talking to me about all this. If there's anyone out there that needs to know about this then its Inuyasha. I want you to promise me that when you get back, go talk to him and tell him everything. Tell him what you want, and what you're afraid of."

"But dad," Kagome began. "I keep telling you. I don't know what I want."

"Yes you do. You just don't want to admit it. Look, I know that it's scary, but you need to face up to your fears. And if you get hurt again, just know that I'll always be here for you. And not just me… you have Shippo, Sota, Hitomi, and your friends there by your side." He was thoughtful for a moment before he then added, "And if Inuyasha ever does hurt you then just say the word… and he's history."

Kagome gave out a weak laugh. "You haven't changed dad."

"Why would I? Life would get boring if I was the kind of dad who would go to work all day long wearing a suit and tie, and when I get home I'd be too tired to play with his kids," he said.

Kagome gave another laugh before her somber expression came back, "Why did this have to happen? I thought that I learned my lesson the first time. Why did I ever meet him? If I knew that it would come to this point then I would've wished I never saw him."

"Kagome?" her dad said seriously. "Answer truthfully. Do you regret meeting Inuyasha and Shiori?"

Kagome looked up at him startled before she looked down at the ground and whispered, "I'd be lying if I said yes."

Dad just continued to lead the way around the yard when he said, "You know? Inuyasha might be having these same thoughts. I mean… Shippo told me that Shiori said that her mother died didn't she?" When Kagome nodded he went on, "Then he must be feeling as confused as you are right now."

Kagome stopped walking; she hadn't thought of that. She never realized that maybe this was just as, if not even harder for Inuyasha.

"Hah," her dad suddenly laughed, causing her to jump. "You remind me of me and your mother when we were dating. I also had the same worries, the same fears that you have right now."

"You did?" Kagome said surprised.

"Yeah," he replied. "I was head over heels in love with her, but I didn't have the slightest idea how she felt about me. You know something? There is a place you can touch a person that will drive them crazy. The heart. That's what she did to me. I was so love struck that I couldn't even look at another girl. She touched my heart in a way that no one else ever had or ever will. When we were still dating, I didn't know what I wanted or what the future held. All that I knew that for the moment… I didn't want to live without her."

"You never told me that," Kagome said. "You used to talk about her all the time when me and Sota were still living here but…"

"I know," he cut in. "I just didn't want you guys to worry about falling in love just yet. When you're in love… you go up so high, and you have no idea how it's going to turn out. You'll either have a net there to break your fall… or you crash and burn."

"Yeah well… I'm not afraid of falling in love; I'm just afraid the net won't be there to catch me," Kagome said sadly.

"Is that so?" her dad said shrewdly. "Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?"

"I…" Kagome said not having the slightest clue how to answer that. Thankfully, he spared her the chance.

"Believe me… I know how hard it is to leave the past behind where it belongs. There are still some days when I wake up thinking that your mother is still next to me… and I have to sit there for several long minutes before I remember…"

"Oh, dad," Kagome said sadly.

She hugged him tightly as he returned it just as tight.

"I know how hard it is…" he whispered into her ear. "It's cruel that I was only able to spend a few short years with the one woman that I truly love. And it's even crueler that you and Sota grew up without a mother. But that's just how life is. Even though our happiness was cut short, I don't regret the fact that she captured my heart. I wouldn't have traded the time that I spent with your mom for anything."

Kagome was so touched by her father's love for her mother that she didn't want to leave the warmth and love in his embrace; but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.

"Kagome?" he said as pushed her back so that he could see her face. "If we all wear masks all the time, then it will eventfully come to a point where we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin."

Kagome shook her head. "But what does that mean?" she asked.

"It means… we all wear defenses so that we can keep ourselves safe. But if we keep them up all the time then when we do want to let them down, it just hurts even more. But that's just life. We all have to take chances. Some of them are worth it and other times… we just want to forget. But sometimes we have to take a chance even though we know that there's always a possibility that we could get hurt."

"But dad…" Kagome began, and again he cut her off.

"For once… listen to your dad. I know that it's terrifying to risk something as precious as a heart. But if you don't listen to it, then there's no point in having one. Kagome, tell me right now… what's your heart telling you?"

Kagome shut her eyes, and tried to listen. But she didn't have to listen long when she spoke her answer. "I want to be with Inuyasha. I want to be by his side, even if it hurts me."

She looked up with tear-filled eyes. "Thanks dad."

He smiled as he brushed his hand through her hair. "You remind me so much of her… loyal, strong, and kind. I know that things will work out for you in the end Kagome."

They were quiet for a long time after that. Neither one spoke a word until they began to head back to the house. Hayato suddenly said, "Life's all about taking chances. If you don't take one at least once a day, then you aren't really living."

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha drummed his fingers at his desk, as he looked at the clock to strike one already. Sesshomaru and Rin were both paying a trip to the doctor, making sure that both Rin and the baby were healthy, while Izayoi took Shiori out for some ice cream. Inuyasha was helping his father in his office with some work but he was distracted by the clock every 10 minutes.

_'Damn, why is the clock taking forever?'_ he thought as each second seemed to slow down.

"Jeez Inuyasha," Inutaisho said as he finished up some work on the computer. "Staring at the clock won't bring Kagome and Shippo back any quicker. Just be patient and enjoy the holidays."

Inuyasha blushed red as he focused on staring at the table.

Inutaisho smiled. But as he looked over at his son he saw that Inuyasha's grumpy, impatient look was replaced with a deep and concerned one. Like his son was completely lost in his own thoughts.

"Inuyasha?" he asked standing up straight. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" he said as if he remembered that he was in the room. "Oh nothing," he said quickly.

Inutaisho gave him a dark look. "Inuyasha?" he said with a threat beginning to emerge in his tone.

"What?" he demanded.

"What's wrong? Don't you dare lie to me. I've known you too long to know when something's troubling you."

"Lay off dad, really there's nothing wrong."

"Didn't I just warn you not to lie to me?"

"But dad…"

"Don't _'but dad' _me! Tell me right now or I swear that…"

"Alright! Alright! Man, can't you ever give me a break?"

"So what's wrong?"

Inuyasha was silent for a moment before he asked him the last thing that he had expected, "Do you remember when Shiori was born?"

Inutaisho blinked in surprise before he nodded.

"Yes?" he questioned. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I was just thinking…" he began.

"That's a bad start," Inutaisho said.

"Ha ha," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "I'm serious. It was a little while after we got married and Kikyo and I decided to stop at a hotel one night. We were at this party and neither one of us could drive home because we were stoned. I don't really remember much after that. I **do** remember bumping into some people in the lobby who looked as drunk as we were."

Inutaisho nodded, taking a seat next to Inuyasha to listen more closely.

"I had gone to bathrooms and came back to Kikyo really late that night, but I really don't remember most of that night because I was drunk," he said scratching his head, as Inutaisho only rolled his eyes.

"Although, I do remember what happened after I got back…" he said going red.

"But…" Inutaisho emphasize with his hand wanting him to continue.

"When I came back into bed it felt… different, like if it was a different person…"

"Don't you think you just had too much to drink?"

Inuyasha nodded his head. "Who knows? It might have been it, I don't really know, it just felt different."

"Well what are you trying to say Inuyasha? That you don't believe Shiori is your daughter?" he questioned.

"Of course I know Shiori is my daughter, but…"

"But what?" Inutaisho demanded, starting to get irritated.

"But I don't think Kikyo was the woman I was with that night."

**(Sorry for not writing in a while. I just haven't been in the happiest of moods. I've fallen into a deep pit of sadness and I just can't seem to pull myself out of it. I hope that you all like the father-daughter moment though. I always wished I could have one like this with my dad so it means a lot.)**


	35. Twins?

**Chapter 35: Twins?**

After a grueling 7 hours flight, Kagome, and Shippo both finally arrived back home after Thanksgiving. Hayato had decided Sota had to spend another day or two with him because he wanted to make sure that he was going to pass his college tests.

Kagome was glad to be back, but she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy for having to say goodbye to her father. She felt like she was letting go of her security blanket as she waved goodbye at the airport…

But the idea that she was going to see Inuyasha and Shiori again filled her heart up with so much happiness that she thought that she was going to burst. She and Shippo came skipping off the plane and began to look around… they didn't have to look for long.

"MOMMY! SHIPPO!" screamed out a small voice that Kagome so dearly missed.

Little Shiori was running towards them, carrying a small bouquet of flowers and looked as if she was out of her mind with joy. She the flung herself into Shippo's arms and said, "Welcome Home!"

Shippo gave her a quick hug before she turned to Kagome and held out the flowers, "These are for you mommy!"

"Oh, Shiori," Kagome said as she bent down to eye level to take them. She breathed in their sweet scent. "They're gorgeous. Thank you."

Shiori smiled happily before she turned towards the figure who was standing a little ways back. "DADDY! Daddy they're back!"

Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha walking towards them with that small smile that she had been longing to see. Kagome stood up and walked over to him and gave him a kiss.

"I missed you," she said.

Inuyasha smirked, "I thought so."

"Hmm," Kagome said. "Well then what about you? How was your holiday?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Fine I guess… though it was kinda depressing to tell you the truth."

That surprised Kagome. "Depressing? Why is that? How come?"

"Well 'cause… I spent most of the time wishing I could be with you," he answered with a blush.

Kagome's eyes widened for a second before she began to turn red. "I really did miss you Inuyasha."

"Uh," he began. "Yeah well… you're back now… Thanksgiving is over… Rin had her baby and…"

"WHAT?" Kagome screamed so loud that several people looked back at her in concern. "Rin had the baby while we were gone?"

"Yep," Inuyasha said calmly. "She went into labor a little bit early… but since we're dealing with a half-demon… it was always hard to say when the baby will be born. She was taken to the hospital and she has a healthy baby boy."

"A boy?" Kagome groaned, happy but upset at the same. "Why didn't you call and let me know?"

He shrugged. "Rin said that she wanted it to be a surprise when you got back. But I'm just glad that she finally decided on a name for the kid."

"Oh, really?" Kagome said excitedly as she and the kids began to follow Inuyasha to get their bags. "What did she pick?"

"She decided on Daichi," he answered with a smile. "The dai means large, or great… and combined with the chi it means wisdom."

"So great wisdom?" Kagome repeated happily. "Who does he look like?"

"Well… my mom thinks that he looks like Sesshomaru… I have to agree, 'cause he has gold eyes and white hair. But he has Rin's face… anyway, we're going to stop by the house. Rin wanted you to meet him."

"Yup!" Shiori finally said as she took Kagome's hand. "He's so cute! Auntie Rin says that he sleeps all night and that he's going to grow up to be just like Uncle Fluffy."

"For everyone's sake, I hope not," Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

Kagome playfully hit his shoulder and said, "Inuyasha, be nice."

"Yeah daddy," Shiori said as she looked at Shippo and Kagome. "So what have you been up too? Did you miss me? Did ya? Huh? Did ya?"

Kagome responded to that by gently squeezing her hand, "More than you'll ever know."

_*In the car*_

In no time they were heading down the familiar road to Inuyasha's parent's house to see Rin and Daichi.

"So, how does Sesshomaru like being a father?" Kagome asked as she leaned back in her seat and relaxing.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Hard to say. He doesn't talk all that much. He's always been famous for his poker face."

"Oh I'm sure that he's thrilled," she replied as she looked back at Shippo who was chatting merrily to Shiori.

"I still wish that I could've been there when he was born though," she sighed. "I can't wait to see everybody."

Once they arrived at the house, both kids jumped out to race towards the front door. But as Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the car, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. He jerked his head towards the side of the house to try to make out what it was.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she looked where he was looking. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," he answered but he looked back. He could've sworn that he saw someone hiding from behind the house. "Look… how about you all go in? I want to go and check something out."

"Huh? Ok…" Kagome said in surprise. She shrugged it off as she followed the children, who were both greeting Izayoi. When the woman looked up, she smiled brightly at Kagome and waved her over. Kagome was only too happy to comply.

Once Inuyasha was sure that they were all safely inside, he quickly ran to the side of the house to see who was there. When he turned the corner… he stopped dead. For it was the very last person he had been hoping to see… in fact, it was the very person that he had hoped he never had to see again.

It was Hojo.

"Yo," Hojo said cheerfully.

"Hojo," Inuyasha growled. "What are you doing here? This is private property. Leave or else."

"My, are you always this friendly?" he asked causally.

Inuyasha clenched his fists tightly. "Look… get lost. Or I swear that I'm gonna make you regret it."

"Jeez," Hojo said as he leaned up against the side of the house. "You need to lighten up. I just wanted to know how things were going between you and Kagome, that's all. Is that so wrong?"

"What's going on? It's none of your damn business. So now that you know…" Inuyasha began to walk towards him, cracking his knuckles in the process.

"Hey, I think that I do have a right to know what's going on with my own son," Hojo said as he stretched out. "After all… you learn things every day."

"Look, you gave up everything to do with Shippo and Kagome. So, you don't need to get involved with anything that's going on here. Now that you know, get lost. If you don't leave right now, I'm gonna smash your face in."

Hojo merely yawned as he stood up straight, "If it bothers you that much, fine. I was simply curious. I mean… after hearing the truth about Shippo's birth… I was surprised to hear that you are still with her."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Wait…" Hojo said slowly as a smile crept into his face. "You mean you don't know? She didn't tell you?"

"Know what?" Inuyasha demanded wanting to wipe that sick smile off Hobo's face. "If you don't tell me right now then…"

"Oh no," Hojo laughed. "I think I rather let Kagome tell you. But if you truly wish to understand… then why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Ask her what?" Inuyasha practically screamed as he grabbed Hojo by the front of his shirt. "What are you talking about?"

"INUYASHA?" Kagome's voice suddenly interrupted them from somewhere in the front yard. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Inuyasha then let go of Hojo; the last thing that he wanted was for Kagome to see who the uninvited guest was.

Hojo brushed off his clothes as if they were dirty and replied, "Relax, I won't let her know that I'm here. I just wanted to see if she had the guts to tell you the truth." And without another word, he turned and left.

Inuyasha was tempted to go after him and punch his lights out, but Kagome's voice was getting louder by the second.

"Inuyasha?"

"Coming!" he called back and went to go meet her.

"There you are," she said grinning at him once he had appeared. "Why didn't you tell me how cute Daichi is?"

But when she looked at his face, her smile slowly faded. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Inuyasha replied shortly and quickly walked past her and up to the house.

_*Later*_

The ride back to Kagome's house was a quiet one; Shiori was fast asleep in the car, and Shippo was just put to bed. Kagome and Inuyasha were both on the front step saying goodnight like they always did; but the air around them was so thick that you could cut through it with a knife. She kept glancing at Inuyasha with a worried look on her face. But Inuyasha was so lost in his own thoughts that he hardly paid any attention to her.

"What?" he finally snapped at her.

Kagome jumped softly at the sting in his tone. "N-nothing!" she said quickly. "I'm just worried about you. Inuyasha… what's wrong? You're acting really weird. Weirder than normal I mean."

"Keh, just leave me alone," he said moodily.

"Why are you acting like this?" Kagome demanded her anger threaten to take over.

"'Cause," he finally snapped, "I met that Hobo back at the house and he told me that you were keeping secrets from me. I need to know… is it true?"

Kagome didn't say anything, but she did go very white. "You… you saw him at the house?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha growled, letting his anger get the better of him. "And he said that you were hiding something from me. Tell me, is it true?"

"I can't think of what he could've meant," said Kagome looking everywhere but at him. Inuyasha noticed this and took hold of her hand and forced her to look at him in the eye. "Kagome? What are you hiding from me? He said that it had something to do with Shippo's birth?"

"It's nothing important!" she suddenly said before clamping her hand over her mouth in horror.

"So you ARE hiding something from me!"

"I told you that it's not important!"

"Then why don't you want to tell me?"

"Because it doesn't concern you!"

"The hell it doesn't!"

"Just drop it! It's not worth getting so upset over!"

"Who's getting upset?" Inuyasha shouted a little panicky. "Kagome what are you hiding from me that you don't want to say?"

Kagome didn't answer as she wrenched her hand from his grasp. She just stood there, not moving an inch, and didn't say a word. She was breathing hard, and her bangs were covering her eyes so that he couldn't see the pool of emotions that must've been swirling around inside her.

Suddenly, she looked up at him, and he was startled to see the tears that were beginning to form. She took a deep breath before she muttered, "Hojo and I only married because of the twins."

Of all the things that Inuyasha was expecting, this sure wasn't on the list. "T-twins?" he stuttered. "What the hell are you…?"

"YOU WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH SO BADLY DIDN'T YOU? I JUST SAID IT! A LONG TIME AGO I HAD TWINS! HAPPY?" she screamed before she ran inside and slammed the door in his face.

Leaving Inuyasha feeling like someone tore out his heart and began to stomp it flat. Finally, after about an hour of standing there and staring at the door, he realized that Kagome wasn't going to come back out. He slowly turned back to his car to drive home… wishing that he could just crawl under a rock and fade away.

**(Sorry for taking awhile. But lately I've been finding it harder and harder to come up with any ideas for this story. I'm at a total writer's block.)**


	36. Baby Date

**Chapter 36: Baby Date**

_*Kagome*_

In no time they were heading down the familiar road to Inuyasha's parent's house to see Rin and Daichi.

"So, how does Sesshomaru like being a father?" Kagome asked as she leaned back in her seat and relaxing.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Hard to say. He doesn't talk all that much. He's always been famous for his poker face."

"Oh I'm sure that he's thrilled," she replied as she looked back at Shippo who was chatting merrily to Shiori.

_'I can't believe how good it feels to be back home,' _Kagome thought with a smile.

"I still wish that I could've been there when he was born though," she sighed. "I can't wait to see everybody."

Once they arrived at the house, both kids jumped out to race towards the front door. But as Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the car, she noticed that he jerked his head towards the side of the house to try to make out what it was.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she looked where he was looking, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," he answered but he looked back. "Look… how about you all go in? I want to go and check something out."

"Huh? Ok…" Kagome said in surprise. _'Now what's wrong?'_ she thought before she shrugged it off as she followed the children, who were both greeting Izayoi. When the woman looked up, she smiled brightly at Kagome and waved her over. Kagome was only too happy to comply.

"It's so good to see you again Kagome," Izayoi said as she lead them all up the stairs. "Inuyasha's been thinking about you the whole time."

"Really?" Kagome asked feeling all warm inside. "How could you tell?"

"'Cause, he couldn't go 10 minutes without looking at the clock, just counting down the minutes that you would come back," she answered with a sly smile. "Trust me, I know that he missed you."

As Kagome began to blush, Izayoi gave a wicked grin to the two kids before she knocked on one of the many doors and entered. "Rin? You have some visitors."

"Come in!" Rin's cheerful voice called from inside.

Izayoi opened the door, and stood back to let Kagome and the kids inside. When she stepped inside she saw that Rin was lying in bed with a small bundle in her arms. Rin looked up, her eyes shining with tears of joy and happiness, "Kagome!" she said in a loud whisper.

Kagome came over to her, to look at the tiny baby that was in her arms.

"Ohhhhh," cooed Kagome as she looked at a chubby boy that was fast asleep in her arms. The little hair on his head was snowy white and pointed ears stuck out from under it. "He's too cute."

"Tell me about it," Rin whispered proudly.

Kagome smiled happily before she got up and said, "I'll be back in a second. I want to tell Inuyasha off for not telling me how cute Daichi is."

_*Outside*_

"INUYASHA?" Kagome's called out. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Inuyasha?" as she began to head to the side of the house. She opened her mouth to call out to him again, when she suddenly heard him call out, "Coming!"

Next thing she saw was Inuyasha coming out from behind the house.

"There you are," she said grinning at him once he had appeared. "Why didn't you tell me how cute Daichi is?"

But when she looked at his face, her smile slowly faded. He was very pale, and looked as if there was some kind of deep anger boiling from inside him. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Inuyasha replied shortly and quickly walked past her and up to the house. Kagome watched in bewilderment as he walked up the stone steps and inside. _'Inuyasha… what's wrong?' _she thought.

_*Later*_

The ride back to Kagome's house was a quiet one; Shiori was fast asleep in the car, and Shippo was just put to bed. Kagome and Inuyasha were both on the front step saying goodnight like they always did; but the air around them was so thick that you could cut through it with a knife. She kept glancing at Inuyasha with a worried look on her face. But Inuyasha seemed so out of it that she wasn't sure that he noticed that she was still here. Kagome didn't like that darkened look that now seemed to cover his eyes.

"What?" he finally snapped when he noticed her staring.

Kagome jumped softly at the sting in his tone. "N-nothing!" she said quickly. "I'm just worried about you. Inuyasha… what's wrong? You're acting really weird. Weirder than normal I mean."

"Keh, just leave me alone," he said moodily.

"Why are you acting like this?" Kagome demanded her anger threaten to take over.

"'Cause," he finally snapped, "I met that Hobo back at the house and he told me that you were keeping secrets from me. I need to know… is it true?"

Kagome felt as if her insides had gone icy cold. "You… you saw him at the house?"

_'No, not him, anyone but him,'_ she thought in panic. _'What did he say to Inuyasha?'_

"Yeah," Inuyasha growled, sounding angrier than ever, "And he said that you were hiding something from me. Tell me, is it true?"

"I can't think of what he could've meant," said Kagome looking everywhere but at him. This couldn't be happening. Why did Hojo have to ruin everything? She suddenly felt Inuyasha's hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. She looked into his frozen eyes and she felt terror beginning to take over.

"Kagome? What are you hiding from me?" Inuyasha demanded. "He said that it had something to do with Shippo's birth?"

"It's nothing important!" she said without thinking. She then clamped her hand over her mouth in horror. Her and her big mouth!

"So you ARE hiding something from me!" he yelled in anger.

"I told you that it's not important!" Kagome said trying to keep her tears from falling.

"Then why don't you want to tell me?" demanded Inuyasha.

"Because it doesn't concern you!" Kagome yelled back

"The hell it doesn't!" he screamed so loudly that she was surprised that the whole neighborhood didn't wake up.

"Just drop it! It's not worth getting so upset over!" Kagome desperately screamed.

"Who's getting upset?" Inuyasha shouted a little panicky. "Kagome what are you hiding from me that you don't want to say?"

She just stood there, not moving an inch, and unable to say a word. Breathing hard, she looked down so that Inuyasha couldn't see her beginning to cry.

But she suddenly felt a deep burning anger taking hold and she forced her head to look up to tell Inuyasha what she should've said a long time ago. She took a deep breath before she muttered, "Hojo and I only married because of the twins."

She didn't know what she was expecting him to say or do. Yell at her? Start asking all kinds of uncomfortable questions? Maybe even call her some names? But instead all he did do was stutter, "T-twins? What the hell are you…?"

"YOU WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH SO BADLY DIDN'T YOU? I JUST SAID IT! A LONG TIME AGO I HAD TWINS! HAPPY?" she screamed before she ran inside and slammed the door in his face.

She slid down the door and began to weep her heart out into her knees, feeling as if all of her energy had left her. What was she going to do now? If she lost Inuyasha and Shiori because of Hojo she wouldn't know what to do.

She didn't know how long she sat there and cried… maybe for another hour at least? But she finally found the strength to stand up and slowly make her way to her room.

The only thing that she could do next was collapse on her bed and continued to cry exhausted tears.

**(Sorry for taking so long... i'm just so down that i can't come up with to many good ideas anymore. But i'm trying.)**


	37. The Past Revealed

**Chapter 37: The Past Revealed **

Days had passed and still Kagome had heard no word of Inuyasha. Everyday she would wait outside the main gate of the school and wait for his car to pull up, but it never did. Instead Izayoi would bring Shiori to the school while throwing several concerned looks at her when Kagome refused to answer any of her questions to why she and Inuyasha didn't want to see each other.

Kagome could recall what had happened a few days earlier.

_*Flashback*_

_"YOU WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH SO BADLY DIDN'T YOU? I JUST SAID IT! A LONG TIME AGO I HAD TWINS! HAPPY?" she screamed before she ran inside and slammed the door in his face._

_*__End flashback*_

A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in her chair, her mind too tired to deal with anymore drama and just wishing that she could fade away.

"Kagome, how are you feeling?" Sango asked, as she stuck her head into Kagome's office, a pile of papers in her hands and an anxious look on her face. Kagome only gave her a sadden look before answering.

"Sango I shouldn't have told him… I shouldn't have told him about me having twins," Kagome berated, feeling overwhelmed all of the sudden.

Sango sighed, understanding how much her friend was hurting, and also angry that Inuyasha could not even talk to her, instead doing everything to keep far away from her.

"Still that idiot should have listened to you, or at the very least, try to talk to you about this. Anyways it was none of his business what you had done in your personal life. He had no right to try and…" but Kagome was lost in her own thoughts again and wasn't listening to word that Sango said.

Kagome once again sighed, putting her head onto her deck, she couldn't get Inuyasha out of her head; there was just so much that needed to be said. There was then a knock on the door, both women looked up, just as Kagome mentioned for the person to come in. She sat up straight as the person that she and Sango had just been talking about came in.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered, not sure of what else to say, his eyes were pleading. Sango stood up, and silently left the room, leaving both lovers to themselves. But not before giving Inuyasha a look that clearly said, 'Mess up… and I'll kill you.'

The only thing that he could do was gulp and nodded until she left.

Once they were left alone in the room, they looked at each other for a brief second before turning away in embarrassment.

They were quiet for a few minutes Kagome spoke softly, still memorized that Inuyasha was finally back into her life, as she asked silently," Inuyasha."

"I-I'm sorry Kagome," he finally spoke, eyes cast down in shame. Kagome came to his side as she hugged him, his scent once again filling her.

"I'm the one that should be sorry, Inuyasha. I shouldn't have told you about quite yet. I felt ashamed that you…" she was cut off as she felt his arm move to take her around her waist. She barely had time to respond as Inuyasha spoke.

"I just felt that you didn't trust me. That you didn't feel like you could tell me what was wrong…"

Kagome pulled herself closer to his body as silent tears fell down her rosy cheeks. "I am so sorry Inuyasha… I need to explain."

Inuyasha nodded and detangled himself from her as they made their way to the chairs. Kagome felt her heart pound faster, silently debating whether to tell him about what happened between her and Hojo or not, but she knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later.

"Six years ago," Kagome began forcing her eyes to look at him as she continued, "Six years ago I had started going out with Hojo, back when he was a kind and caring person believe it or not." Inuyasha let out a grunt as if to say 'yeah right.'

"I was happy with him; I was happy how my life was going. What I didn't know was that it would change. One day, I was so exhausted after I got out of school that Hojo decided to take me out to go to bar to cheer me up," Kagome continued.

A small laugh escaped Inuyasha, making Kagome glare at him in response,"Yes, I went to a bar, is it really that hard to believe?"

Inuyasha nodded, as Kagome sighed, was it really that hard for people to believe that she had actually gone to a bar. "Well I didn't know that we were going to a bar. Hojo said that it was going to be a surprise."

"Well I guess it must have been when he took you inside," said Inuyasha reasonably.

Kagome shrugged. "I told him to just take me home. That I didn't want to go inside. But he said that it was just for a few minutes and then we would go."

"So, what exactly where you doing in a bar?" Inuyasha asked a little too curiously.

"What do you think?" Kagome laughed bitterly as she shook her head. "Drinking, of course. He gave me a small drink that he said wasn't alcoholic. And I still can't believe that I believed him."

"What?" Inuyasha demanded sounding outraged.

Kagome put her hand down, reaching her hand out to him. Inuyasha calmed down a bit, and grabbed her hand, gently rubbing her thumb; which made Kagome blushed. "You see… he bought me some kind of alcoholic drink… and then another… and then another… and after a few drinks, I realized that I was drunk. I was so out of it that I was starting to see double. I remember demanding Hojo to take me home. But he was so drunk that instead he took us to a hotel. I don't really remember much after that. I **do** remember bumping into a couple in the lobby. Hojo left to go use the bathroom and I headed to our room and I fell asleep instantly. It was about midnight and I heard someone enter my room, it was so dark that I couldn't see his face, but it had to have been Hojo. He moved towards me… and… well… I'm sure you can fill in the blanks."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Next time I see Hojo… I'm breaking his face."

Kagome let out a strangled laugh, "I would pay big to see that."

She sighed as she went on, "I found out that I was having twins about 2 weeks later. Hojo was upset, at first I didn't understand why… but I should've known that he was angry that I was pregnant. When I told my father about it, he wasn't angry at me… but at Hojo. Hojo demanded that we get an abortion, but I wouldn't dream of it. What I was surprised at was that my father was on my side. He said that the babies shouldn't suffer because of what my idiot boyfriend did. Anyway, nine months passed by quickly and was overjoyed that I was going to have my babies at last. A few days before the due date, I started to have contractions and I was ready to give birth. I needed to get to the hospital fast, but it hurt too much. My father was at work and my brother had gone out with Hitomi, so I was alone. Hojo came over and found me on the ground; and I begged him call the hospital. So he called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital. I remember given birth to what turned out to be my son. But before my second baby came out… I… couldn't take the pain anymore. Hojo was friends with one of the doctors and asked him to give me something. I don't know what it was, but it made me dizzy. And… I blacked out.

When I woke up a few hours later I could hear my son crying in my father's arms, next to me. Dad said that he arrived in time to hear that I had already given birth to Shippo, and rushed in to help in whatever that he could. He was told to take Shippo while they tried to get my daughter. I was so happy to see him there; and even happier to see my healthy boy."

"So what about your girl? Where is she now? I would like to meet her if possible?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shook her head as she glanced at the pictures of children at the wall. Tears fell from her eyes again as she thought of her dead daughter.

"My girl was born dead," Inuyasha became still, not knowing what else to say, a small amount pity as he stared at her.

"Kagome, I'm sorry," was all he could manage.

Kagome smiled, a smile that Inuyasha didn't like, a sad smile that just wasn't of his Kagome.

"I married Hojo soon after that," said Kagome. "I wanted Shippo to grow up with his father. And I thought that seeing our child… that would make Hojo want him now… but… he changed… I don't know how… but he wasn't the same anymore. We divorced not long afterwards. I still mourn for my dead daughter, but Shippo helps ease that pain."

"Does Shippo know about his sister?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome nodded. "He knows that he had a twin who didn't make it. He cried for his dead sister for a long time. But I think that he's still too young to understand just yet."

"So it's just been you and Shippo on your own ever since?" Inuyasha asked fuming.

Kagome shook her head, "Not completely. My father has been by our side ever since Hojo left. No matter what, he's always there when I need him. That was the kind of father that I wanted Shippo to have. And to think that this all started by going to the 'Rainbase' Hotel."

Inuyasha felt something inside of stir_. 'Rainbase?' _

"What did you say the name of the hotel was?" Inuyasha asked a little panicky. 

Kagome blinked, "Rainbase. Why?"

Inuyasha was suddenly getting flashbacks of that night with Kikyo. He looked at Kagome, a stunned look on his face. The hotel that he went to with Kikyo that night was at was called 'Rainbase'. It happened 6 years ago… and he remembered bumping into someone in the lobby that night… but he couldn't remember the faces. Could it be possible that…_?_

Kagome stared at him slightly confused of his reaction; softly she spoke, "Inuyasha are you alright? You look a little pale?"

"Kagome… you said that you bumped into a couple in the lobby right? What did they look like?" he replied nervously, his mind was in turmoil of the thoughts that might be true.

Kagome narrowed her eyes, deep in thought as she replied, "I don't know. Like I told you I was drunk… I bumped into someone before me and Hojo headed up to the room."

Inuyasha sighed a sign of relief_, 'My mind must be playing tricks on me,' _he thought. Kagome began to play with Inuyasha's fingers, unwilling to look at him in the face.

"So now that I have told you, do you still…" Kagome stopped, feeling happy and guilty of telling him her secret. Suddenly, she felt Inuyasha's warm arms around her frame.

"This doesn't change the way I feel for you Kagome, I was stupid to have acted like that… I-I'm sorry."

A true, genuine smile made its way to Kagome's mouth as she moved next to him, leaning slightly against his shoulder

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Thanks for understanding," she whispered into his clothes.

Inuyasha couldn't help but smile, "Kagome?"

"Hmm?" Kagome responded, closing her eyes as she leaned closer. "I've been thinking about this a long time," he continued.

"What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, slightly bewildered.

"So now that everything is cleared up… ah… will you… do you want to go eat lunch with me?"

Truth is, that wasn't what he was planning on asking her, but he chickened out at the last second. Instead, he grinned as he placed his hands around her waist.

Kagome blushed as she nodded, "Sure," she said as she locked eyes with Inuyasha.

"Am I that good looking?" he grinned at her, which made Kagome blushed as she playfully slapped him on the arm.

"Pompous jerk," she replied.

"Keh," he replied closing the distance between them, in a soft and gentle kiss, "You know I am," Kagome giggled and kissed his lips again.


	38. Under the Mistletoe and Step Three

**Chapter 38: Under the Mistletoe and Step Three**

The day had finally come. It was Saturday, the day before Christmas Eve, and Inuyasha was on his way to pick up Kagome and Shippo. Shiori was humming happily to, _'Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer'_ in the backseat of the car and was staring out of the window at all the snow that covered everything like a thick blanket, or a giant piece of paper.

The must've had about 5 inches of snow and it was still falling. They were definitely in for a white Christmas.

"Shiori, please, can't you hum a different song? Keep this up and I won't be able to get that song out of my head."

"Ok," Shiori said agreeably and then began to hum, _'Santa Claus is coming to town.'_

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and thought, _'Oh, I give up,'_ before he pulled up to the long steps leading up to house which Kagome owned.

Inuyasha and Shiori walked up the steps and knocked on the door, before the door opened immediately by a grinning Sota, "Ah, Inuyasha, Shiori. It's good to see you!"

"Hi, Uncle Sota!" said Shiori with a smile as she hugged him.

Sota showed them into the living room, "Kagome should be down in just a minute. Oh wait! Here she is."

As Kagome walked in the room, Inuyasha mouth nearly hit the floor. She was wearing a simple white cashmere sweater with a just-below-the-knee black pencil skirt and black knee-high boots. Her wavy black hair was piled in a bun with her bangs to the side and a few stray curls hanging out. She had minimal make-up on, with just some gloss and mascara. Inuyasha was stunned.

Shiori smiled inwardly at her father's reaction, "Mom, you look really pretty!"

Kagome smiled at the little girl, "Thank you, Shiori! You're pretty cute yourself!"

Inuyasha stood up and tried to keep his mind (and eyes) from wandering, "Are you and Shippo ready to go?"

Kagome's smile faded some, "Yeah, just let me grab my coat." Kagome grabbed her long, black coat and called for Shippo, who was running downstairs, as she followed Inuyasha out the door.

"I'm coming!" he yelled quickly. "Don't leave without me!"

Once the door closed, Sota, who was staying the night, slowly sat down in the nearest chair, "I wonder how long it will be before those two hurry up and get married…"

_*In the car*_

No one spoke in the car on the way to the Takahashi's. However, the second they pulled in the driveway, Kagome broke the silence, "Inuyasha, how do I look?"

Inuyasha made a quick glance at her, "You look fine."

They all got out of the car, and as soon as those doors opened, the kids ran in the front yard and began to throw snowballs.

"Come on you two! We have to go in remember? You can both kill each other tomorrow!" Inuyasha yelled before turning back to Kagome. "Kagome, why do you look so worried?"

"I look horrible don't I? I should have never worn this. I should've…" Kagome began.

But Inuyasha cut her off, "Kagome you look beautiful, so shut up!"

Kagome stared at him for a moment before the front door was opened, this time by Inutaisho, "'Bout time you all made it! Come on in before you all let the warm air out!"

They followed Inutaisho inside; Shippo ran into Inutaisho's arms, "Grandpa! Merry Christmas!"

The old dog demon chuckled. "It's not Christmas yet, Shippo."

"It's close enough!" said Shiori when she walked in the entry way as Inutaisho led Shippo and Inuyasha towards the dining room.

"I agree," said Rin's voice suddenly. Rin came into the room, baby Daichi fast asleep in her arms, "Hey Kagome!"

Both of them grinning, Kagome took off her coat and went over to hug Rin, while trying to avoid squishing Daichi, "Hey Rin! I've missed you!"

Rin pulled back suddenly, "I need to tell you something, but I'll tell you after dinner."

Kagome faked pouted, "Why not now?"

"'Cause I said so that's why!" Rin said with a wink as Kagome followed her into the dining room.

The exquisite oak dining room table was laid out with all the fancy decorations that could possibly fit. Needless to say, Kagome was in awe, "Wow! This is beautiful!" she said as she sat down between Shippo and Inuyasha at the table.

Izayoi smiled at Kagome, "I'm so glad you and Shippo could come tonight, dear. We really enjoy having you both here."

"I was thrilled when Inuyasha asked me to come," Kagome said as she turned towards Inuyasha and then back to Izayoi, "My family doesn't do a whole lot of things for Christmas so this is a really nice change."

Everyone ate for a while and when dessert was brought out, Rin smiled brightly at Kagome, "Do you want to know now, Kags?"

"Definitely! Now what is going on, Rin?"

Rin grinned at Sesshomaru before turning back to Kagome, "Well you see, me and Sessy got these tickets to a dance downtown for Christmas, but since we have the baby… we can't seem to find the time to go. So I was wondering if you and Inuyasha would like to go instead of us Kagome so that we don't waste the tickets."

Kagome's mouth nearly hit the floor. Inuyasha choked on his dessert, everyone else had evil smiles. "Wait, let me get this straight, you'll telling me that you both don't want to go to a fancy party and want me and Kagome to go instead?" Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome went bright red and looked down at her plate, as if she wanted to disappear.

Rin smiled sweetly, "Yup! We both thought it was a great idea."

Izayoi stood up and winked at Rin, "Why don't we all go back into the living room for a bit and talk about this later?"

Happy with that idea, Kagome and Inuyasha both got up and followed after everyone else. Everyone walked into the living room single-file, except Kagome and Inuyasha. As they tried to pass under the archway, Izayoi grinned and stopped them. Wondering what was going on, they both looked at each other side-by-side, before Izayoi said, "Look up you two…"

…Mistletoe…

Inuyasha shot a small glare at his family but didn't budge from underneath it, "No."

Kagome flushed pink and Izayoi smiled sweetly at her son and Kagome, "Come on you two it's tradition! It's bad luck not to kiss under the mistletoe!"

Both were blushing an almost unhealthy shade of red. Kagome tried to avoid Inuyasha's eyes, but did not dare to move as Inuyasha tried to ignore the fact that his entire family was watching. Sure, they kissed all the time, but not in front of everyone else! Giving his family another glare, he carefully put his finger underneath Kagome's chin to get her to look at him, "Kagome…"

Kagome finally looked up at his face and into his eyes. Those gorgeous yellow eyes of his. She never quite realized how beautiful they were until this moment in time. She took a small breath and moved slightly closer, "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha's eyes darted between her deep chocolate eyes and her lips as he moved closer until their lips were but a breath apart. He took one more look at her face and found her eyes closed; he smiled inwardly as he closed the distance between their lips.

As with every kiss they had, they both felt that familiar white-hot fire was spreading though every part of them. Yet, even after all this time, it never failed to cause their hearts to speed up and yearning for more.

The kiss was short and chaste yet somehow held a hidden passion that only the two of them felt. Inuyasha pulled away, grabbed Kagome's hand and quickly lead her away from his family.

He pulled her into the entry way and kissed her again in private; one hand on her face, the other on her waist. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. As always, their kisses were the sweetest things that they both had ever tasted.

"I don't normally do party's… but if you say yes, then I'll be more than happy to go," said Inuyasha when he finally pulled away.

Kagome smirked. "Well, since you put it that way. Ok, I'll go… but only because you're cute."

He laughed as he moved in for another kiss.

_*The Living Room*_

"Half of Step three is complete," said Izayoi laughing with the kids, who in turn were grinning ear to ear. "Now all they have to do is go and enjoy themselves at the party and then we can finally move onto Step 4!"

"Thank you all…" Shiori said happily. "You know… all I asked from Santa this year was for 'Operation New Parents' to be a complete success. Looks like he'll come through for us!"

"It's ok even if he can't," said Shippo. "If he can't make miracles… then… grandma sure can!"


	39. Christmas Eve

**Chapter 39: Christmas Eve**

(Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own, so you don't sue)

"Kagome, get off your butt. You need to pick out your dress," Sango sighed as she looked to see Kagome lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling with the kind of look you would expect from someone who was on death row. Kagome shook her head, looking at her best friend as she bite her lip and covered her eyes with her arm.

"Come on Kagome," Sango said as she began to look through Kagome's closet, trying to find a good dress for tonight. "It's just a party, it's not going to kill you."

"But you know that I don't do well with parties," Kagome whined. "How did I let Rin talk me into it?"

"Kagome, come on. Just relax. We have everything taken care of. Miroku and me will be watching Shippo tonight, while Inuyasha's folks will watch Shiori. It's Christmas vacation, so you don't need to worry about the school or work. All of your Christmas shopping is done, and you'll be spending Christmas with everyone tomorrow. So you should just pick a dress and start getting ready for tonight and have fun."

"Yeah but…"

"Kagome," Sango said with such fierceness that she didn't dare try to say anything.

"When will be the next time you get to go to a party like this one?" Sango asked as she went back to looking through the closet. "Just calm down, and have fun. It's Christmas. Besides, this is Rin's Christmas present. You want to go and hurt her feelings like this?"

"Do you have to go and play the guilt trip?" Kagome demanded.

"If it gets you to go to that party…" Sango answered.

"I don't see why you and Miroku couldn't go instead," Kagome said grumpily.

"What is it with you and parties?" Sango asked. "Do you really not want to go that badly?"

"No…" Kagome said after a few seconds of silence. "I guess I do want to go but…"

"Besides," Sango said smiling, "There is no way that I can take Miroku to a fancy party like this one. He hates formal wear."

"Yeah," Kagome grinned as she finally sat up to pay attention. "That… and you don't want him to be looking at any other pretty girls."

"Oh I don't need to worry about that," Sango replied calmly. "He wouldn't do that to me… because he's seen me angry before."

"That's true," she said thoughtfully.

"So, you ready to pick out a dress?" Sango suggested with the air of someone asking a little kid if they were ready to go out for ice-cream. Kagome sighed before she finally smiled and nodded.

"I still can't believe that Rin's present were tickets to this party," Sango said. "Is there a reason why they're holding this in town?"

"It's like a fundraiser for charity," Kagome said as she began to look through her collection of shoes. "All the money made tonight will be donated to all kinds of hospitals and good causes."

"Well, doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Sango said slightly dreamily. "You better make sure to have fun tonight."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yes, mom," she answered sarcastically.

"And the first step to that, is making sure you look like a knock-out," Sango said as she began throwing some skirts and shirts onto the bed. She would look at one outfit for a second before saying things like, 'Semi-formal,' 'to formal,' 'not in a million years,' 'maybe,' or 'I might have to borrow that.'

"Sango," Kagome began.

"Semi-formal…" Sango went on as if she didn't hear a word that Kagome said and continued looking through rows and rows of clothes. She was about to sigh and give up when she found a simple but bright red dress. Pulling out she looked over it once before smiling and held it out to Kagome to put on.

"Try that on! It'll be perfect for a Christmas party!" she said excitedly.

"But Sango…" Kagome was about to protest but it was no use. She might as well have been talking to the wall for all the good it did. Sango grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her over to the bathroom and forced her inside before shutting the door.

"Now Kagome, I'm only doing this because I'm your friend," Sango called through the door. "I'm not letting you out until you try that dress on."

"But I… I can't… oh fine!" Kagome yelled back in defeat. She quickly changed, wondering what Sango would say. Once it was on, she looked in the mirror it took her a few minutes to recognize herself.

The dress hung to her body, coming to end at her ankles, a slit on the right side showing her long leg. The dress itself was a red halter, showing off her back while coming low, but not too low, on her front, and it had a sliver belt showing off her thin waist. She turned and twirled smiling.

"You done in there?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, just promise to say nice things about it," Kagome begged.

Sango came in and stopped dead, "OK, I think we found the perfect dress. If Inuyasha doesn't faint from shock, I don't know what will. Now… you must let me do your hair… after all, we only have 5 more hours to get ready and we don't want to keep Inuyasha waiting. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

_*Inuyasha*_

"Remind me again, why I'm doing this?" Inuyasha demanded as he tied on a tie.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said shaking his head. "Do you know just how many people would be dying to go to a party like this with a beautiful woman? For the rest of the night, you are the luckiest man alive."

"But I don't like parties," Inuyasha groaned.

"I think that you can survive this one… and besides you'll be Kagome all night. Doesn't that make it bearable?"

Inuyasha merely started cursing Miroku under his breath while Shiori was listening at the door with a slight grin on her face.

She then went skipping down the hallway and started humming a tune while thinking, _'Step 3 is almost ready to go!'_

_*5 hours later*_

Miroku and Inuyasha were finally walking up towards Kagome's house, Inuyasha wishing that he could be anywhere but right here, Miroku grinning broadly like an idiot. "You look fine pal," he said slapping Inuyasha on the back. "Just relax and enjoy the evening… after all tomorrow's Christmas!"

"Huh? Oh right, Christmas… yeah," Inuyasha said absentminded.

Miroku could only grin as he knocked on the door. Not even a second later, Sango opened it with shining eyes and her baby boy in her arms. "MIROKU!" she squealed happily. Miroku was only too happy to reply with a kiss. As Inuyasha rolled his eyes, a couple young girls, who were also staying the night came running up to him.

"Daddy!" they both said happily and threw themselves into Miroku's arms.

"Hey girls! Did you behave yourselves for mommy and Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Daddy?" asked their daughter Keiko. "Can we open presents now?"

"It's not Christmas yet girls," Miroku said shaking his head.

"But it's almost Christmas," said Sakura. "Please dad… we can't wait anymore."

"You both waited all year, I think you can both suck it up for one more night," Sango said.

"Please daddy?" Keiko begged giving him her saddest puppy dog eyes.

"We can talk about this later," Sango said as she ordered everyone inside and handed baby Kyo over to Miroku. "Let's wait until Kagome and Inuyasha leave before we talk about presents."

"Is Kagome ready?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Sango said grinning ear to ear and looking like she was about to explode with excitement. She then turned her head and called up the stairs, "Kagome! Your date is here!"

"Sango," Inuyasha said turning red.

"Coming!" Kagome's voiced called down. "Just give me another minute!"

"Well hurry up!" Miroku called back in a cheerful voice. "You two have to leave soon!"

"Uncle Miroku!" yelled a younger voice that Inuyasha knew anywhere. And sure enough, Shippo came bounding down the stairs. "IS it true? Can we open our presents now?" he asked Miroku.

"Who told you that?" Miroku demanded.

"Keiko said that you let us open presents," Shippo replied.

"Oh did she?" Miroku said looking at his daughter who merely put her head down and pretended to look ashamed.

Inuyasha smirk faded when someone had finally made an appearance at the top of the stairs. When he turned to look… he could've sworn that he died and had gone to heaven to see the angel that was waiting for him.

_*Inuyasha's POV*_

Inuyasha's mouth really did fall open this time. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but for a moment, he could've sworn that he was staring at a goddess or maybe a celestial maiden. Kagome was dressed all in red with a sliver belt, her hair tied up in the back with a braided bun that looked like it was made out of woven silk. Her red, high-heeled shoes make clanking sounds as she slowly came down the stairs, but the part he loved the most were her ruby-red lips… he suddenly felt light-headed and the need to sit down.

_*Kagome's POV*_

In front of her was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. He wore a black and white suit, and his silver hair was tied back. She felt her face beginning to turn red, and her heart was beating so loudly inside her chest, that she could've sworn that it was going to jump right out of her. She had to really focus to keep herself from tripping and falling down the stairs, and was relieved when she finally reached the bottom.

_*Normal POV*_

The girls all clapped as if she was on some game show, and Miroku even started whistling as Shippo yelled out, "WOW MOM!" he then ran up and gave her a hug, "Mommy, you look beautiful!"

Kagome smiled in embarrassment, "You can thank Sango. She's been working for hours on me."

"You make it sound like I was working on a manikin or something all evening," said Sango.

"Oh, Kagome, you look so beautiful, you almost make me wish that I wasn't married," Miroku said batting his eyes. Kagome laughed and played along, fluttering her long lashes and pressing her other hand to her heart.

You could've knocked Inuyasha over with a feather, he was so stunned and couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Kagome. He had to struggle to get his mind (and eyes) from staring at her, "Are you r-r-ready to g-g-g-go?"

Kagome blinked, startled at his sudden shyness, "Yeah, just let me get my coat." But Miroku seemed to be waiting for her to say that, because he was already holding out her coat for her. As he helped put it on he said, "Inuyasha, are you just going to stand there and stare at Kagome all night?"

That alone seemed to snap him out of it and he turned away, "Shut up Miroku."

Everyone else grinned as the kids held the door open for them, and Miroku bowing as they walked out. "Don't have her out for too late now," he said holding back a laugh. Kagome could only blush as Inuyasha gave Miroku a death glare.

Kagome then called out to her son, "Shippo? You behave yourself."

"Yes mommy!" he called back. As soon as the door was shut behind them, he turned to everyone and asked, "What do you think'll happen tonight?"

Sango started to laugh, "I don't know but you can bet that it'll be a night that those two will never forget."

_*The party*_

"I can't believe that they talked us into this," Inuyasha said as the entered the large gallery where they were holding the Christmas party. There were so many people dressed in so many different types of clothes that it was like a whirlwind of colors.

Inuyasha took Kagome's coat (and he had to practically slap himself to keep himself from staring like an idiot) and they both entered the gallery. It was decorated accordingly, with bright lights and red carpets, a small choir at the stage and dining tables wrapped in white silk and candles stood dispersed around the grand room. There were Christmas songs playing, lights strung over their heads that twinkled like fairylights, trees decorated with hundreds of ornaments that lined the hall, and the smell of turkey and gingerbread filled their noses.

"Holy…" Kagome gaped as she scanned the crowded room. She was surprised at the elegance of the room and the people dancing around. She watched as a few waiters here and there came about, offering them champagne and other drinks.

"Think that they went overboard?" Inuyasha said looking around.

Before Kagome could respond, the next song began to play: 'Last Christmas…'

Last Christmas I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

"Oh I love this song," Kagome said as she and Inuyasha headed towards the buffet. They spent about 10 minutes talking with each other, and just as they were beginning to enjoy themselves, a man with a microphone suddenly stood up and called out to the crowd:

"Alright people! This next song is for all of you couples out there! If you came with someone important, then come onto the dance floor!"

"You ever have the feeling that the entire world is out to get you?" Kagome asked shaking her head.

"Oh yeah," he agreed. But he made the mistake of looking at her eyes. He felt his heart beginning to pound in his chest, as if it was demanding that they go and join all the other couples who were spilling onto the dance floor. He was seeing her, looking beautiful in that dress, and suddenly he felt like he couldn't breathe anymore.

Their eyes clashed.

Their breathing hitched.

Unable, and unwilling to take their eyes off each other, they both took deep breaths, trying to calm the butterflies that had decided to take flight inside both of them.

"Care to dance?" Inuyasha asked, his face turning so read it looked like sunburn.

"Sure…" she murmured automatically as she reached out, taking his hand. Then, just then, there was something about him that pulled her forward. He brought her to a more secluded area of the dance floor, and pulled her close.

"Dance with me," Kagome whispered as the next song started up.


	40. Catch me I'd fallen for you

**Chapter 40: Catch me I'd fallen for you**

_"Dance with me."_

Those were the words that she had uttered ever so softly. Those three words… only meant for him. He looked deeply into her eyes as though searching. They stopped and stood in front of one another, both gazing the other with a mixture of feelings that a person could never hope to understand. There were hardly even aware of the music surrounding them, engulfing them; nor where they aware of the swirling dancers cluttering somewhat gracefully around them.

If anyone had bothered to stop and look at the two, they would quickly turn away, for the gazing was a special kind, the kind you only give to that true beholder of your heart. This gazing was more intimate than any physical contact dare to dream, for it told more than a hundred thousand paged book could describe and held more true and powerfully intense burning feelings than the sun could produce heat.

Inuyasha could see why he was so attracted to her, like a magnet to its' opposite, for she was everything he wasn't, bright like the sun, and beautiful as the whitest smooth cloud in all of the worlds.

As for Kagome, she felt warm inside at the thought of being so near him like this that she felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach gently yet rapidly. Her breathing hitched. She parted her lips in, not only to breathe better, but in wonder that they were together like this. She fought a blush from staining her cheeks like a sunburn.

Her eyes lightened up at the prospect of being with him. Her heart fluttered and her breathing danced as she focused on him, something that normally happens when you stare at the holder of your heart. Her heart started beating like a drum now, in tune with the music box like music that she barely registered.

Kagome was entranced, mystified and completely curious about the man in front of her. She didn't bother to hide this from him, to not show him what lay behind her walls and into the swimming depths of her ever-changing eyes. She, in fact, wanted him to see what he made her feel, what he meant now to her, and what he could possibly mean to her in the future. She showed him, just through her gaze, that she was willing to take that path with him and only him.

The way they gazed at one another, this man and young woman, made them gaze in awe and wonder and in recently learned truth. They both realized, perhaps at the same moment, that neither couldn't be without the other, they could practically foresee their future, together, and both welcomed it, their mouths, still opened, but with excitement and eagerness of the future.

He told, no, showed her that he loved her while she showed him that she loved and accepted him. This was the power of a true gaze. To simply tell another with just the eyes that much information is more powerful than anything the sun could heave or humanity could muster on their own.

It finally hit Kagome that she was standing there in the middle of the crowd, and was about to dance with him.

"Just so you know…" Inuyasha said as the music started up, "I can't ballroom dance."

"You mean you never learned?" Kagome asked.

"My mother made me take dance lessons when I was little," he admitted, his ears turning red. "But like all little kids, I whined and complained until she let me quit."

Kagome could only grin as she said, "It's ok… just do what you learned."

The space between their two heated bodies now nearly nonexistent; Kagome had to hold her breath when she was near him because it made her dizzy just letting him hold her… his scent was so intoxicating. Kagome spun around on her heels, making the bottom of her dress flare out and faced Inuyasha. He now wore a mischievous smile upon his face.

The song started up.

Kagome had thrown her hands up in the air above her thrown back head and closed her eyes. Strong arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her small waist.

He ran his hands up her waist and arms and enclosed her tiny hands within his own.

He brought her hands down outwardly and then spun her around to face him. She could feel his heartbeat against her own.

He spun her away from him and back again so that her back was against his chest and her hand lie within his own. He breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

She spun away this time and looked him deeply in the eyes. He let go of her hand and instead wrapped his big, warm hands around her waist. He lifted her up and spun her around. She grabbed onto his shoulders for support.

He then dropped her to the floor softly and spun her easily like a ballerina in a music box, before holding her close in his arms. She let a small smile escape her lips. And he caught it.

Setting her upright she spun away from him. She then put all her trust in him and ran towards him, jumping just two feet away from his solid form.

He caught her just like she'd planned and held her full body weight above himself. She had her arms out gracefully and her form was perfect.

As the song ended, he brought her body down slowly and set her gracefully upon her feet. Her eyes were closed and she breathed in and out deeply.

As she opened her big, brown eyes slowly she found his face centimeters away from her own. She could feel his hot breath tickling the loose tendrils against her neck. His eyes locked with her own.

She hadn't realized that the crowd was cheering or that she had her arms wrapped around his arms and he had his wrapped around her. His grip was strong…protective.

Time just plainly had seemed to stop.

With her in his arms, and him in hers.

The song _'Rocking around the Christmas Tree,'_ began playing next. The crowd joined in dancing now and Inuyasha smiled softly. Kagome smiled back. Her eyes sparkled.

He spun her out with more force. The couple was fired with adrenaline.

Each time their bodies touched fire raced through her veins. Their moves matched each other with perfection. Both danced with fiery zeal.

He caught her each and every time, never letting her fall. She, in turn, always returned to him.

Kagome couldn't remember the last time that she had so much fun and even began to sing along with the lyrics, despite being out of breath.

He spun her around so her back was to him again, his arms wrapped around her arms which, in turn, were wrapped tightly around her middle. She leaned her head in the nook of his arm.

_'All I Want for Christmas Is You,'_ began softly playing after that song ended.

Kagome and Inuyasha stood in the same position for a few seconds.

"I thought that you said that you didn't know how to dance," Kagome said with her eyebrows raised.

He looked amused at that, "I said that I never learned ballroom dancing. I never said anything about this."

Kagome could only laugh, as he continued spin her around the dance floor.

"I feel… I feel like… I don't know what I'm feeling," Kagome said as she twirled.

"You don't?"

"I cannot explain it," she answered him. "I feel like… I'm in a dream, but I don't remember ever dreaming anything like this!"

He laughed, but fondly. Just as she couldn't take her eyes off him, he didn't seem to be able to take his eyes off her.

"I mean… ever have that feeling of Déjà vu?" Kagome went on.

Inuyasha frowned as he thought it over. "Now that you mention it… yeah."

"Kinda like we danced before?" Kagome spoke almost to herself as she suddenly remembered something that Sango told her. "Once upon a dream…"

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh nothing," she said laughing. "Just remembering something that Sango told me a while back. How it's not the first dance that's important… but the last dance."

"Really? Why's that?"

"I'll explain it later," she said shaking her head. "It's hard to explain here."

As the song ended, Kagome pulled away from his warm embrace and met his soft gaze. He still held her hand within his own.

"I think we found our winners!" suddenly yelled out a voice.

Kagome and Inuyasha just remembered that they were at a Christmas party and were in the middle of a large crow of dancers, who in turn were watching them with bright smiles and clapping loudly.

"Let's give it up for our couple!" the man with the microphone yelled pointing to the two of them.

Blushing more than ever before they both made their way off the dance floor with everyone still cheering them on as if they were suddenly celebrates or contestants on a game show.

_*Later*_

"Well that was fun," Kagome said her face in her arms as she put on her coat and continued to laugh. They had spent the rest of the time on the sidelines and merely talked and ate, trying to get over all the cheering that they were still getting.

Inuyasha was looking moody and kept rubbing his face with his arms. "Come on," he said grabbing her by the arm. "Let's go out to the park. We still have a little time before we have to go."

So the two of them walked out and proceeded to the small park that lay beyond the building. "Why didn't you tell me that you were such a good dancer?" Kagome asked shrewdly.

She couldn't see his face so well in the darkness, but she knew that he was blushing.

"I don't know what happened to me," he answered. "I guess… I think I just lost it in there."

"No I liked it," Kagome reassured him. "I like it when you're enjoying yourself. You don't need to feel like you need to hide it."

Again he blushed as Kagome wrapped her coat tighter around herself.

"You cold?" he asked her in concern.

"A little bit," she admitted. "Course, I'm wearing a dress so…" she didn't need to finish because Inuyasha then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to keep her warmer.

"Better?" he asked.

Grinning in bliss, she mumbled a faint yes.

They continued to walk around the park and gazed at the faint snow that was slowly falling for a little while before Inuyasha then stopped without warning.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned. "What is it?"

"Ah… well…" Inuyasha seemed to be having trouble coming up with an answer. "Since… since it's almost Christmas… I wanted…"

Kagome pulled back to look at his face again. Maybe it was because they were standing in the middle of a snow covered park with the faint snow falling around them… but everything seemed so magical that Kagome felt that in that moment, anything could happen. Maybe this is what they meant when they say that Christmas is the most magical time of the year.

"I WAS going to give this to you tomorrow… but… I wanted to give it when no one else was around," he said in embarrassment as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a long, brightly wrapped box and handed it to her. "I didn't know what you would like… but when I saw this I knew it would… I just… look I'm not good with this kind of thing ok?"

Kagome took the box from him and gently began to unwrap it. "Inuyasha," she said as she was then holding a long velvet box in her hands. "You know that I'd love anything you got me."

"Yeah," he said unable to look her in the eye. "But… I wanted it to be special ok? Just open it."

Rolling her eyes, she opened the box and gasped at the inside to reveal the silk interior and something so beautiful that it took her breath away.

Inuyasha's fingers slithered gently around the heaviest piece of the chained necklace's jewels; he stared at the enchanted orb for a moment before he quirked his lips and placed the box back into his pocket. Taking the link of the necklace he unscrewed it and held it upwards motioning over her head.

He snickered as she took a deep breath when the necklace lightly laced around her neck; and the jewels that linked together. He quickly latched the opal link in the back and watched as the single small tail trailed down her back and underneath her coat. With one hand he had pushed her hair to the side, and with another swoop it dangled down her backside again.

"Oh Inuyasha!" she breathed out while moving her head downwards to look at the necklace he had placed on her.

He quirked an eyebrow before looking down and smirking as he watched her fingers stroke the jewel in the center of the diamond chain. "Do you like it?"

"It's the most beautiful thing…" she couldn't speak more for no words could describe the dancing speckles of light that floated around the mauve sphere that made her fingers glow its pinkish color. The chain reflected the prismatic lights and bent them to create new found pigments.

"Not the most beautiful thing," he smiled before placing his own hand around hers and gliding his thumb across the small orb.

She was about to ask him what on earth could be more beautiful than his gift when all of a sudden, he was leaning in towards her. All sounds were blocked out. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm not going to repeat this tonight… but… you look beautiful."

Kagome suddenly felt dizzy. From the way that Inuyasha was staring at her, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world. All his attention was focused onto her. The touch of his hands on her body took her breath away. And when she danced with him that night, it seemed the easiest and most natural motion; as if she had danced with him hundreds of times before. When he told her that she was beautiful, she felt as if her insides were set ablaze.

Knowing what he wanted, she could only smile as she shut her eyes, and his warm lips covered hers.

She felt him place his hand behind her neck and she felt the other one on her back.

His mouth was soft and tender, but this kiss was much more passionate than she could've imagined. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss, both of their arms pulled the other closer, encircling them tighter.

If there was a better Christmas present than this moment, she didn't know what it was. She wanted Inuyasha to be her dance partner… from now until the end… no not the end… longer…

Forever.

**(Merry Christmas! This is my present to all my fans!)**


	41. Caught On Tape

**Chapter 41: Caught On Tape**

_*Kagome*_

There are few things in this world that you can be certain of. Like there will always be traffic at rush hour, if you are wearing a nice suit and you're near a pool… then you're going in. And that guy with the red shirt that goes down to check out the planet in Star Trek… he an't coming back.

Well, another one of those 'certain' things is that children will rush in before 6 in the morning to wake their parents on Christmas.

Kagome was fast asleep in her bed and was having a dream of dancing under fresh falling snow when she was rudely awoken.

"MOMMY!" screamed Shippo's voice as he came running into his mother's room and leapt onto the bed. "MOMMY! SANTA CAME! WAKE UP! COME ON WAKE UP!"

"Mnn," his mother said as she pulled her blankets up above her head.

"Shippo, mommy is very tired. Mommy was out very late last night," mumbled Kagome without even bothering to open her eyes, "We can do presents later ok?"

"But moooommmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy," Shippo moaned as he sat on top of Kagome and gently began to bounce. "PLEASE?"

But when his mother didn't show any signs of getting up, Shippo came up with a trick he learned from TV. Who says TV's not educational? He got down off of her and went straight to where Kagome kept her phone. He picked it up and turned it on before he went back upstairs and yelled loudly, "Mommy? Daddy's on the phone!"

**That** got her attention and the next second she was sitting bolt-upright. "WHAT?" she yelled.

Shippo grinned while he waved the phone from her bedroom door and ran downstairs. By the time that Kagome got up, put her bathrobe on, and found him, he was sitting under the tree with a large present in front of him; grinning.

"Now that you're up," he said in an innocent manner, "Let's open presents!"

It took a moment for Kagome to realize that she had been tricked. She shook her head and slowly began to laugh. "OK," she said in a defeat voice, "But let me make a cup of coffee first."

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha was out like a light. He felt like nothing could get him out of bed today…

"DADDY!"

Well almost nothing.

"Daddy!" cried out an excited Shiori as she began to shake Inuyasha, "Look! Presents! Can we open them now daddy?"

"Ah, runt," Inuyasha groaned. "Presents can wait. I want to sl…sleep."

Shiori folded her arms grumpily before an idea sprung into her head. She left her father's room and want down stairs to the front door, she opened it before slamming it loudly shut and cried, "DADDY! MOMMY AND SHIPPO ARE HERE!"

Suddenly, she heard a loud bang as Inuyasha fell out of bed and headed for the stairs. He looked down at the front door to see Shiori standing there with a sweet, wide-eye look like a sad puppy who had been left at the park. She asked with her bottom lip hanging out, "Presents now?"

It took a moment for Inuyasha to realize that he had been tricked. He went to the wall nearest to him and hit his head against it, damn, he hated the puppy dog pout.

"Fine," he growled and Shiori went skipping into the living room to where the tree was.

_'Man, why can't he say no to that face?'_ he thought as he trudge downstairs.

_*Kagome*_

Shippo was sitting among a pile of unwrapped paper, toys, clothes, and other goodies while Kagome sat on the couch and sipped her coffee. Shippo was admiring his newest toy that Inuyasha had given to him. It was a little remote control car that had a video camera on the top that you could send into other rooms and spy on them.

Shippo then began to yawn.

Kagome smiled, "You regret getting up so early now?"

Shippo shook his head but Kagome knew that he was lying. She smiled again as she picked him up and carried him back to his bedroom, still holding onto his car. She decided that she would let him sleep for a little while; they weren't leaving until the late afternoon anyway.

_*Later*_

Kagome was in a bright red sweater and green skirt as she helped Shippo pull on his coat. "So we meeting everyone else there?" he asked as he put on his mittens.

"Yes," Kagome answered simply. Once they were both ready, they picked up a large pile of presents and headed towards the car. They were going to Inuyasha's parents house to celebrate; she was especially happy that Izayoi had invited Sota and Hitomi.

"Once we pick up Uncle Sota and Hitomi we'll head over there ok?" she said.

Shippo nodded agreeably and went running to the car. They drove to Hitomi's house, where Sota's been staying lately, and were greeted with a excited pair.

Sota came over and gave Kagome a hug before he handed her a medium sized present. "Oh, Sota," Kagome said happily, "Here, yours is in the car."

"Hold onto it then, we'll open them once we get there," Hitomi said.

After they loaded the car with some more presents, it didn't take any time until they were driving down the familiar road that Kagome knew she could find in her sleep.

"I can't wait to see this house," Sota said as he leaned back in his seat, listening to a few carols on the radio.

"It's great!" Shippo piped up. "It's really huge! Oh, and thanks for the new video games Uncle Sota!"

Sota waved his hand as if to say, 'no big deal' before he asked Kagome, "So… did you enjoy yourself last night?"

Kagome went scarlet and didn't answer right away. "It was…" she began, trying to find the right words, "It was… nice."

"Nice?" Hitomi repeated.

"That's it?" Sota said sounding slightly disappointed.

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know what you expected to happen. We went to the party, and we came back. Simple as that."

Of course, she was planning on keeping what happened last night a secret until the day she died. She didn't want to share that magical night with anyone. She didn't notice that she was playing with the jewel she now wore all the time.

Once they pulled up into the driveway, Kagome could see Inuyasha's car and knew that he and Shiori must already be here.

"THIS is where his folks live?" Sota gasped at the enormous mansion.

"That was my reaction too," said Kagome wisely as she turned off the car. "Come on, I could use some help with the presents."

Shippo went running towards the front door and hammered, impatient to come in and see everyone. Izayoi was the one who opened the door, and she was given a big hug from her adopted grandson.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS GRANDMA!" Shippo cried out loudly as he hugged her tight.

She merely laughed as she returned the hug and waved to the adults coming up the walkway. Kagome waved back as everyone entered the inviting house.

"Here, let me take your coats," said Izayoi happily, "And don't worry about the presents, I'll make the boys carry them for you." A second later she yelled up the stairs, "INUYASHA! SESSHOMARU! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Both men appeared, and both looked grumpy as they came down the stairs. "Oh, come on mom," Inuyasha moaned, "I haven't gotten any sleep at all last night."

"Then you shouldn't have been up so late," Sesshomaru said calmly.

Inuyasha gave him a dark look before he asked what Izayoi wanted. It took him a few moments to see that the guests have all arrived. As soon as Kagome saw Inuyasha, her fingers automatically reached for the necklace that he had given her just last night. Inuyasha saw this movement and began to turn slightly red.

The other people in the room noticed this exchange, and everyone (except Sessy) grinned.

The rest of the night went on without anything big happening. Shippo and Shiori were going crazy over the new toys and games, while the grown-ups continued to talk about whatever subject that came up.

It wasn't until 7:00 did something really special happened… to Inuyasha and Kagome anyway.

Shippo and Shiori went upstairs to play with their new toys as the other stayed downstairs and finished off their dinner. Kagome then went into the kitchen when everyone was paying attention to little Daichi, who was sitting on Rin's lap and making little gurgling noises.

Kagome had finished her meal and had just thrown away her paper plate when Inuyasha suddenly came into the kitchen. He looked at her face before he blushed and tried to leave. Kagome knew that he must've been embarrassed about what happened last night.

"No," Kagome said quietly, "Come back."

Surprisingly, he did come back and placed his plate on the counter before coming in very close to her. Kagome reached up and stroked his cheek before saying, "Thank you… for the present."

Inuyasha went even redder and muttered, "Ah… sure… no problem. I'm ah… glad you like it."

Kagome smiled in embarrassment before she said, "I wanted to give you my present."

This surprised Inuyasha, "But you already gave me my present."

_(She had given him a huge tub of Ramen)_

"Yeah, but…" began Kagome looking down at her feet, "But I wanted to give you the other half now."

She closed the distance between them and very gently placed her mouth over his. He was half expecting it and half surprised but was more than happy to return the kiss. He placed one of his hands on her back, and the other in her hair; loving her sweetest taste.

That was when they both heard a strange noise. They broke apart and looked down to see Shippo's little remote control car at their feet, looking up at them. The little light on the camera was on.

Knowing that their children were watching, Kagome couldn't help but start to laugh. Inuyasha looked like he was about to smash it into a thousand pieces before Kagome gently kicked it over onto its side so that their children could see them.

"Kids…" Kagome said fondly.

Inuyasha merely made his 'Keh' sound before they finished the kiss.

_*Upstairs*_

Shippo and Shiori were both in the hallway on the upper floor and were trying out Shippo's new car. "This is so cool!" Shippo said as he watched everything that the car was recording.

"Can I drive next?" Shiori asked as the car then went into the kitchen.

"Sure, but I think… wait… what's this?" Shippo asked as he stopped the car. The both looked at the little screen that was attached to the remote control and saw their parents in the kitchen.

"Can you get closer so we can hear them?" Shiori asked hopefully, her eyes shining as she saw them both together like this.

"I think so," Shippo whispered. He gently touched the control stick and made the car move slowly forward. He watched as Inuyasha's face turned red and how he tried to leave the kitchen.

"No," his mother said so quietly that he almost didn't hear it, "Come back."

To his surprise, Inuyasha did come back and placed his plate on the counter before walking close to her. The kids could practically feel the tension in the room. Kagome reached up and touched his face before saying softly, "Thank you… for the present."

Present? What present? Shippo didn't remember Inuyasha giving his mom a present.

"The necklace," Shiori said as if she read his mind, "I saw daddy getting that necklace for mommy at the store a while ago."

They both watched as Inuyasha went even redder and muttered, "Ah… sure… no problem. I'm ah… glad you like it."

They smiled along with Kagome before she said, "I wanted to give you my present."

"But you already gave me my present."

"Yeah, what does she mean?" asked Shiori, "Does she have another present for daddy?"

Her question was answered when Kagome said, "Yeah, but… but I wanted to give you the other half now."

The couple walked close together before they began to kiss. The kids both grinned widely, and moved the little car forward so that they could see better. However they moved a little too quickly because their parents looked down at the little car.

"Oops," said Shippo at the look on his mother's face. She looked surprise only for a second before she began to laugh. Inuyasha on the other hand looked ready like he was about to toss the car as far as he could after he destroyed it.

Kagome merely smiled at his expression before she kicked the car onto its side so that they couldn't see anymore.

"Ah man," Shippo said and looked disappointed for a brief moment before he began to laugh with Shiori.

"Step 3 is done, so now…" he began.

"Onto Step 4!"


	42. Ghosts of the Past

**Chapter 42: Ghosts of the Past**

The back door slammed shut behind Inuyasha. He was now fuming as he walked halfway out onto the lawn, knee-deep in snow. He fumbled to grasp the purple beads that lay hidden underneath his shirt. He made a fist around the necklace, a white fang pierced at his hand. He tightened his grip and emanated a low growl under his breath.

He looked angrily up at the dark night sky. Stars littered the sky like shimmering diamonds. It's almost the full moon…

He released the beads, letting them rattle against his chest. After he and Kagome were caught on camera he suddenly felt the need to be alone. Why was that? The kids had seen them kiss before… so why was he unexpectedly so angry? His thoughts turned to Kagome.

Kagome really was beautiful… more beautiful than all the stars in the sky put together. More beautiful than even… her.

But was this really right?

_*Flasback*_

_"Kikyo? You sure about this?" _

_"Inuyasha… you know how I feel. I love you very much, you know that," Kikyo replied with a soft smile upon her pale lips. _

_Inuyasha's eyes darkened and his smile faltered at her words._

_"I love you too…" he said softly._

_*End of flashback*_

Inuyasha emanated a heavy sigh filled with sadness. He was about to walk back inside when the back door was thrown open. It bounced off the wall loudly from the forcefulness causing an echoing noise to bounce through the empty yard. The nearly full moon illuminated the slivery hair of Sesshomaru.

"Inuyasha," he muttered as he walked over to him.

"Save it. I already know what you're going to say," Inuyasha barked at him.

"If you know then what are you waiting for?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha answered by turning his back to his brother and began walking away.

Sesshomaru caught up to him in the blink of an eye. He grabbed Inuyasha roughly by the shoulder and turned him around to face himself.

"Would you stop being such an arrogant idiot just for one second and open your eyes?" he said gruffly in a low voice as he shook his brother to force him to look him in the eyes. This was so unlike Sesshomaru that it startled Inuyasha for a moment. If there was one thing that 'Uncle Fluffy' was famous for it was his poker face; and it usually took a LOT to push him over the edge.

"Just leave me alone," Inuyasha mumbled and ripped his arm from his brother's grasp. "You've done such a good job of it so far. Why not keep it up?"

Sesshomaru punched Inuyasha in the face faster than he could react to. Inuyasha stumbled a bit and stayed hunched over. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

"You're not the only one who has to suffer. You're not the only one who is affected," Sesshomaru spit out angrily. "Don't you forget it."

Inuyasha spit a bit of blood from his mouth ruefully.

"Damn you, Sesshomaru." He began walking away, still partially hunched over.

Sesshomaru shoved him by the shoulder this time and punched him again.

"You damn quitter. Everything you start you never finish."

Inuyasha growled angrily. His black bangs covered his eyes, hiding all emotions like a dark veil.

"You're weak. You let one simple human girl get to you so badly."

Inuyasha swung at his half brother fiercely.

"Kikyo really loved you. And I know that you loved her. But she's gone now. It's been 6 years… I don't think that you need to feel guilty anymore. I think it's ok to fall in love again. I don't think that Kikyo would want you to think that you can't be with anyone."

Those words caused Inuyasha to miss.

"But even after all this time, you're still afraid of letting someone get close to you," Sesshomaru went on, "You're too scared about feeling that pain again."

Inuyasha angrily dug his nails into his fisted hand.

"You're too scared," Inuyasha swung again before Sesshomaru finished by saying: "I see how you look at Kagome."

Inuyasha froze.

"I know you love her just as much… if not even more than Kikyo."

They locked gazes. "I sensed it too… Inuyasha, let go. Leave the past behind."

_*Flashback*_

_Inuyasha had opened the door, a smile on his face as he came home from a long day with dealing with annoying kids. He called out to Kikyo, but all he heard in reply was Shiori crying. He called out for Kikyo again as he headed up to check on his daughter, but still no answer._

_He opened the door to the nursery expecting to see Kikyo trying to stop the crying. But instead he found Shiori just about to fall of her crib because the side of the crib had been left open._

_Inuyasha rushed over and caught her just as she was about to go over the side. He held the crying infant in his arms and cooed her until she calmed down. Where the hell was Kikyo? He started looking around the house, calling out to her. He placed Shiori back into her crib once she had calmed down and she had started to doze off; Inuyasha headed towards the master bedroom, hoping that Kikyo was there. He was getting really annoyed with her now and, with one swift twist of the door knob he opened the door._

_What he saw froze his heart. Kikyo was lying on the floor of the room… as pale as death._

_"Kikyo!" he yelled as he ran forward and raised her head. "Kikyo? Kikyo?" She didn't answer… she wasn't breathing. Inuyasha practically flew downstairs and had called for an ambulance. However it was too late. _

_When the paramedics finally arrived after what felt like an eternity, they told him that the cause of death was a heart attack…_

_Inuyasha's temper rose to such an idiotic statement. He yelled at big and fat the paramedic. "Why would she have a heart attack? She was still young! How could this have happened!" _

_The paramedic told him to calm down, and Inuyasha did. But only because he heard Shiori crying again._

_Once he had finished yelling at the men to leave his house he went upstairs to Shiori's room. He picked her up to hold his daughter close to his heart, and whispered to her, "It's just you and me now runt."_

_He started to cry once Shiori had fallen asleep. _

_'Kikyo…'_

_*End of flashback*_

"Leave the past behind you!" Sesshomaru yelled.

Inuyasha shoved Sesshomaru away. "Leave me alone," he repeated as he began walking away again.

"This girl could be the key… she could be the one you've been searching for," said Sesshomaru softly. "Little by little, she has begun to heal the wounds in your heart."

He just kept on walking. He heard the door slam closed once again soon after.

The night breeze ruffled through his white mane. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. Cars… crickets…and distant trickling of water.

He began the short trudge towards the small pond that was kept near the end of the land that his parents owned. He'd always found the sound of water comforting. Whether it be rain, the ocean, or just an ordinary river. He found it soothed his soul, sort to say.

The trees ended and the river came into view finally. He slowed down to a walk and was soon at the frozen pond's edge. He crouched down, to touch the ice.

He stared, mesmerized, at the stars and the moon reflected in the dark surface. Then he looked down farther and took in his own mirrored reflection…

Soon his thoughts wondered to the girl whom Sesshomaru had spoken of, Kagome… Kagome… she was so amazing. Having her in my arms… it felt so… he felt so…

At peace.

He couldn't stand to NOT be around her. If he had it his way, they would never have to leave each other's side. And oh, when they kissed…

"Hello," said a familiar female voice from behind Inuyasha, causing him to jump slightly as he was shaken from his daydream. As he whipped his head around, he was entranced by the beautiful sight. He couldn't have ripped his gaze away if he'd wanted to.

Kagome… Her skin looked paled as it was illuminated by the moon's light. Her black hair wrapping beautifully around her face. But mostly, it was those beautiful brown eyes that sparkled in the darkness that took his breath away. She held such natural beauty… her red, full lips smiled gracefully.

"H… he…hey," he stammered as he stood up from the ice and stand when she spoke, having anticipated his motive.

"No, wait, I think I'll join you," she said happily, her voice light and angelic.

And that she did. She walked over to stand next to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm as one of his hands found hers.

Inuyasha couldn't help himself but hold onto her.

"Um…your brother, Sesshomaru, told me where I might find you… I hope you don't mind…" she looked up at him and met his unwavering gaze. "It's just… I was…well…" she looked down at their intertwine hands as she tried to find the right words. "I was worried about you. The way that you just got up and left? Oh, by the way, I made the kids erase the tape and then Sesshomaru told me that you were out here."

_*Flashback*_

_Kagome was on her way to find Inuyasha to tell him that she made the kids erase whatever they recorded tonight, and tried to take care of her flustered feelings swirling around in her stomach. That was until she ran into a solid figure with silvery hair who seemed angry and was just walking through the door as she was walking out._

_"Oof-oh, I'm sorry," said Kagome as she tried to gain her balance again._

_"No, it was my fault entirely. Oh, it's you, Kagome." Sesshomaru replied, relaxing a bit._

_"Yeah, I was just looking for Inuyasha. Have you've seen him?" she said with a lopsided, halfhearted smile._

_"Yes, he's outside…" he was quiet for a moment before he went on, "He really cares about you. You know that right?" Kagome blushed. "Perhaps… you could do me a favor…?"_

_*End flashback*_

"Your brother seemed to be a little worried about you," she said softly. "Like you're trying to hard at something and he wants you to lighten up?"

The expression in her big, brown orbs was so innocent… so sweet and full of life… so beautiful. But at the same time he couldn't help but feel as if he was looking at Shiori's eyes.

They sat in silence for a bit.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked. Her gaze had settled on the nearly full moon surrounded by the explosion of stars.

He looked directly at her as he said, "Yes, it is."

"One of the only flew things I like about winter, the night skies…" she looked over and smiled as she took in his form. He wore a thoughtful scowl upon his handsome features. Kagome bunched a handful of snow in her fingers. She then smiled and tossed the snowball onto the unsuspecting man.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"You're so serious. You need to lighten up."

"Is that so?" he asked slyly as he gathered up some snow and began to throw some back at her. Soon they had a snowball fight going. It was over as quickly as it had come however and soon, worn out, they both collapsed against each other.

His arms were wrapped around her in a hug to try to warm her, and her arms were around his neck, trying to share body heat.

They stood in silence for a bit, not uncomfortable with their positioning at all, whilst gaining their composure.

Inuyasha looked down and took in the sadness reflected in her watering eyes. Yet she still wore a smile upon her soft, small lips.

"Kagome?" as her name passed through his lips, he received chills over his arms as he stared at the girl questioningly.

"Next Friday. 7 PM. Another date, okay?" she said briefly as if she already knew what he was going to say.

"Wh-wait…" he asked surprised.

"7 sharp, okay?" she smiled lopsidedly, "That is, if you want to go out on another date that is?"

"Ah… yeah," was all he could answer.

She beamed at him, her eyes twinkling slightly against the starry background, winked, and headed back to the house. "It's cold out here!" she called. "Come on inside! It's still Christmas!"

Inuyasha watched her go with a slightly dazed look. He watched her until she had reached the house and waved as if to say 'it's ok I'm here for you.'

"I've got it bad," he whispered as he finally began to follow.


	43. Marry!

**Chapter 43: Marry?**

_*Kagome and Sango*_

"Kagome?" Sango called to her friend who was still humming a song to herself as she made dinner. "Kagome? Hey KAGOME! Are you listening to me?"

But Kagome kept stirring the pot, she didn't seem to be able to hear Sango's voice who finally screamed out, "KA-GO-ME!"

Kagome finally heard the distant voice calling out to her and snapped out of her reverie. Kagome finally slowly turned around at the kitchen table and smiled brightly to her closest friend.

She had been reliving the night of Christmas party for about the hundredth millionth time.

"Sorry Sango! Did you say something?" she asked enthusiastically as she went back to her cooking. Sango leaned over the table and put her face in her hands.

"Boy…you must either really be out of it…" she muttered before she stood up and gave her friend a mischievous expression with one hand on her hip. "Oooor…you're still thinking about your Mr. Perfect!" Sango said, still hoping to try and coax Kagome's confession of her feelings for Inuyasha out.

"S-Sango!" Kagome blushed deep red and looked around them to make sure Shippo was nowhere near.

_'Why am I always acting like this? Why do I feel like this whenever I think about Inuyasha?'_ she wondered. _'I could just melt… right here… right now… just thinking about him,' _she thought groggily.

"Kagome? You and Inuyasha are spending almost every waking moment with each other! And when you aren't together, you spend all the time thinking about the next time that you'll see each other again!" Sango shook her head. "I swear it's a wonder that he hasn't asked you to marry him yet."

Kagome dropped her spoon. "WHAT?" she shrieked at her. "MARRY?"

"Well, yeah," Sango said surprised. "That is what you want don't you?"

Kagome was about to answer with a no… and then she thought about it…

An image came into her mind of her standing in a beautiful wedding dress… walking down the aisle on her father's arm… Sango and Rin as two of her bridesmaids… Shippo as the ring bearer… Shiori as the flower girl… Inuyasha standing at the altar in a black tuxedo…

And them both saying the 2 most dangerous words in the entire world:

_'I Do'_

No.

She shook her head out of her daydream. No, as much as she loved him… there was no way that he would ask her to marry him. She knew that he still loved his first wife and she didn't want to feel as if she was taking her place.

"No," she said sadly. "That'll never happen no matter how much I would want to."

Sango looked at her in surprise. "So you admit that you love him and want him to ask you to marry him?"

Kagome bent down to pick up the spoon and carried it over to the sink. "Y-yes," was the only think she could say. "I love him. But—come on—marriage?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sango said with a smile. "I think that he might be seriously thinking about it."

"How do you know?" Kagome demanded, wincing at the eagerness in her tone.

"Hmm? Oh, let's just say that a little birdie told me," Sango said grinning.

"Sango," Kagome said putting her hands on her hips. "Does this little birdie happen to be a pervert with a ponytail and a goofy smile that makes you think that he's doing something illegal?"

Sango feinted looking hurt, "Kagome… that's my husband you're talking about."

"You're right I'm sorry," Kagome said sarcastically.

"You know that I'm the only one who's allowed to insult him."

"Right I forgot."

Both women started laughing. "I do love him Sango… but I don't think that a wedding is in our future. I know that he's still totally hung up over his first wife."

"Well," Sango said as she stood up and began to set the table. "Never say never Kagome. That's all I can say. You may just be surprised." She then looked through the kitchen door to see a little red-head standing there, listening to the entire conversation. Sango winked at him and while his mother wasn't looking she mouthed_, 'My phone is in my coat pocket.'_

Shippo gave her the thumbs up and quietly slip away so he could make a phone call.

_*Inuyasha and Miroku*_

"Would you quit looking at me like that?" snapped Inuyasha. Inuyasha and Miroku were spending the afternoon putting snow chains on Miroku's car. Miroku was busy leaning up against the car and asked innocently, "What are you talking about?"

"I know that you're looking at me funny," Inuyasha said annoyed. "Is there something interesting about my face?"

"It's just that I know that look in your eyes," Miroku said with a slight smile. "You're thinking about Kagome again aren't you?"

"What on earth makes you think that?" Inuyasha said as he went back to the tires.

"Well, I could be wrong," Miroku admitted, "But I've been standing here talking to you for about half an hour and I don't think that you were listening to one word I've been saying."

"How do you know?"

"What have I been talking about then?" Miroku asked.

"Ahhh…"

"I thought so."

"Keh," Inuyasha said.

Miroku sighed and said, "Inuyasha, you two are seeing each other every day and go out every single weekend. And when you two aren't glue to each other's side you spend the time apart thinking about each other. Why don't you just ask her to marr…" but he suddenly realized that Inuyasha wasn't listening to a word that he was saying.

Annoyed now, he snapped his fingers in front of Inuyasha's face to bring him back to the present.

"Huh?" Inuyasha said startled. "Sorry wasn't listening. What'd you say?"

"Ah, forget it, you're mind's not focused on putting chains on the tires anyway. You're too busy thinking about someone with big puppy brown eyes aren't you?"

"Who?" Inuyasha asked pretending to sound confused.

Miroku wanted to slap his hand over his eyes and tell Inuyasha to stop being an idiot. Inuyasha had that effect on everyone. Whenever he did or said something stupid or tackless, Miroku just wanted to knock some since into him. But then again… if he did that then Miroku would be slapping him all the time.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said with a great deal of patience. "We all know that you love Kagome. So stop pretending that you aren't."

"I…" Inuyasha began.

"I KNOW that you're in love with Kagome," Miroku said quickly cutting him off. "And don't you dare try to deny it."

Miroku turned his head away, thinking up some good come backs for when Inuyasha starts telling him that he's stupid or to shut up and that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Inuyasha sighed as he went back to the tires. "Alright," he muttered mostly to himself than to Miroku. "Then I won't."

Miroku whirled around to stare at him. His jaw would've dropped to the ground if it could, he was shocked to the point that he couldn't talk. Did Inuyasha just admit that he was in love?

"What?" demanded Inuyasha. "You wanted me to say it didn't you? Would you make up your mind?"

"No—no," Miroku said startled. "I just wasn't expecting you to admit it. I thought that I would have to argue with you for hours to get you to even let slip a hint that you love her."

"There's no point in keeping quiet about it anymore," Inuyasha said sadly. "It's like you said, I can't get her out of my mind Miroku. I can't help but think about her whenever she's not here. I love her."

Miroku never heard his friend sound as sincere as he did right now. He was thrilled that Inuyasha in love, although anyone with half a brain could've figured out what his feeling for Kagome were. But he didn't see why he was having such a hard time with it.

"Oh, stop moaning and just hurry up and marry the girl," Miroku said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"WHAT?" Inuyasha yelled, standing up and coming face-to-face with Miroku. "MARRY HER?"

"Yeah," Miroku said calmly still not understanding what the big deal was. "If you love the girl so much then why don't you just ask her to marry you already? Honestly, if I were you , I'd ask her long ago."

"Miroku, I can't ask Kagome to marry me," Inuyasha said.

"Why not? All women dream of getting married to their soul mates right?"

"Miroku…"

"Just ask her… I'm sure that she'd love nothing more."

"I can't! Don't you understand? I can't."

"Why?"

"I thought it over before. There is no way that she'd want to marry me. It would never work out. Besides what could I offer her?"

"Fair point," Miroku said thoughtfully. "I mean… well you can't cook anything other than ramen."

"I'm serious, Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled. "She'd never say yes."

"You won't know unless you try," Miroku answered. "Just ask her. If she says no—and I highly doubt she will—then at least you would know. But what if she says yes?"

"I'm not going to ask her now ok?" Inuyasha snarled. He walked away and towards the house. "There. I put your snow chains on. Now stop bugging me or I'm going to show you why I teach martial arts!"

Miroku shook his head in disbelief before he turned to the side of the house where Shiori had been hiding behind a large snow pile. He gave her a grin and said, "I'll keep your daddy busy. You go and call Shippo."

Shiori gave him a returning grin and went running into the house with Miroku right behind her.

_*On the phone*_

"You realize what this means?" Shippo said excitedly over the phone after they both told each other what they overheard. Thanks to their spies, they know that now is the perfect time to start step 4.

"Yeah," Shiori answered. "Mommy and Daddy WANT to get married. But they're…"

"Both too stubborn…"

"To ask…"

"The other! But this is still fantastic! Everything is going just as we planned. Only step 4 and 5 are left," Shippo cried out.

"But how are we going to go onto 4? Step 4 is going to be trickiest one yet," asked Shiori uncertainly.

"Oh, no," Shippo answered confidently. "It won't be hard at all! After all… there are 7 stages to go through to make sure that step 4 goes correctly."

"Stages?" Shiori repeated.

"Yep. Just listen… there are 7 things that we have to do to make sure that step 4 goes perfectly. Stage 1: Let them believe they're safe at first. You know? Just let them think that nothing is going on. Or as Miroku says—lead them into a false sense of security."

"Ok, sounds simple enough. But what are the next stages?"

"I'll get to them later. But now… we have work to do. I'll explain the other 6 stages once we get to them. But by the time that we complete step 4… we'll be only one step away from that trip to Disney World this summer!"

Shippo went quiet for a moment before he quickly whispered, "Uh oh, I got to go! Mom's calling me for dinner. But listen I'll contact you once we reach stage 2 ok?"

"Ok," Shiori said quickly. "I'll be waiting."

Once she hung up, she couldn't stop grinning. Truthfully, she had been worried that step 4 wasn't going to work. But if it's only going to have 7 stages to move onto Step 5, then maybe it would be easier than she thought.

**(Sorry for taking so long. My computer has had a bad virus and I had to wait a long time to get it fixed. Please review!)**


	44. 7 Stages to Step 4

**Chapter 44: 7 Stages to Step 4**

**Stage 1: Let them believe they're safe at first. Just let them think that nothing is going on. Or in other words, lead them into a false sense of security."**

Kagome and Shippo were planning a fund day at the carnival that was visiting for the week. Of course, Kagome had no idea that her son and adopted daughter were planning a nice little surprise for their parents that day. It was going to be tricky, but if they could pull it off, then they will be so much closer to a complete family that they were longing for.

"Mommy?" Shippo asked sweetly as he ate his breakfast. "You sure that we can go to the carnival like you promised?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes, Shippo. After you finish eating we're going to be spending today at the carnival."

Shippo gave a goofy grin and began to wolf down his cereal.

"But if you throw up before we leave," Kagome interrupted, "Then we're going to have to cancel our plans for the day."

When he started eating his food more slowly, Kagome went back to reading the newspaper. When Shippo had an empty bowl, Kagome told him to go and get dress while she finished getting ready. Once she laid down her paper, she began to get ready herself. While she looked in her bathroom mirror, she briefly wondered if she should call Inuyasha and see if he wanted to go with them.

But then again, it was so sudden that she didn't think that they would find the time to drop whatever they were doing just to go out with them. And she just had a date with Inuyasha last night also… No, this should be a day just for her and Shippo.

Little did she know what was conspiring against her and Inuyasha.

_*Inuyasha*_

"Runt," Inuyasha groaned as he waited outside for Shiori to come down so that they could go. "You sure that you want to go to the carnival today? Can't we go some other time? It's here for a week isn't it? Besides, I'm tired."

"Oh, come on daddy," Shiori said brightly as she came running down in the same white dress that Kagome had given her the day that she slept over for the first time. "I want to go today! Please?"

Inuyasha sighed, "Alright, alright. We'll go today."

As Shiori gave a yelp of pleasure and went running to the door, Inuyasha briefly wondered if he should've called Kagome and asked if she and Shippo wanted to come. But he shook his head and thought, _'Nah, I'm sure that they would like to spend time away from us for a change.'_

_*Kagome*_

Shippo practically dragged her out of the parking lot and the rest of the way to the carnival. A six-foot high portable fence circled the carnival grounds. The sounds of laughing children and employees shouting about how great their attraction were was floated over the fence along with the constant hum of a few thousand people talking at once, while the peak of a mini roller coaster could be seen looming over the top of the fence. Kagome and Shippo waited in line and then handed the inattentive employee their tickets. Kagome drew in a breath as they stepped inside.

_'Wow,'_ she thought.

"It's HUMONGOUS!" Shippo squealed.

Black and red striped tents littered the area. Some of the tents had games inside them. Others were filled with prizes. Some were entrances to rides, like the rollercoaster, Ferris wheel and the go-kart track. There were platforms where performers were showing off some of their "skills". Kagome and Shippo walked passed a platform where a man was juggling sticks that were on fire at both ends.

"Ooh! He's so cool!"

"Do you have to yell so loud, Shippo?"

"I can't help it! Hey look! There's the Trolley Ride!"

Kagome glanced in the direction her son was pointing. There, beyond all of the food stands and game tents, was a brightly colored train where kids would ride to get a view of everything around the park. Even thought the train was small, it somehow made everything else look mini-size in comparison.

"The Trolley Ride doesn't open yet," Kagome read from a brochure she had picked up. "That gives us plenty of time to check out all the other stuff before we come back."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! Mom, can we go and get some cotton candy?"

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha and Shiori made their way into the line for the bumper cars. When it was their turn, they squeezed into the tight seats with Shiori at the wheel.

"Ok, Runt!" Inuyasha said as a bell was rung, signaling that they should start running into each other.

Shiori sure proved that she was her father's daughter. She ran into every other car several times before the 3 minutes were up and everyone had to leave. She then jumped out of her seat as soon as the restraints opened.

"C'mon! Let's go do something else!"

"Calm down, Shiori! We've got all day! What's the big hurry?"

She didn't answer but pulled him along like a dog on a leash. (Ha, feel free to laugh here) She wanted to fit as much in as she possibly could. The two of them made their way around the carnival, stopping every once in a while to look at a snake charmer or a painter or to play some games.

"Hey, look at that!" Shiori said. "A fortune-teller's tent!"

"You want your future told?"

"Yeah! Please?"

"Alright fine, quit bugging me."

They both entered the red-and-black striped tent. It was lit by dozens of candles scattered around the room, giving it a ghostly quality. Inuyasha thought the fortune teller looked rather like a ghost herself. She sat on the far side of a small table placed in the center of the tent. She was dressed in pure white clothes with little white flowers decorated her hair to match her snow-white hair. What really made Inuyasha nervous were the pitch-black eyes stuck out like a sore thumb in the center of her pale face; they looked as if they were void of all feeling. On the table in front of her, instead of a crystal ball, she held a mirror. She was staring into the mirror, her face expressionless. The girl looked up from the mirror so that her empty black eyes came to rest on them.

"Welcome. I am Kanna," she said in an detached voice.

_'That voice gives me the creeps,'_ thought Inuyasha.

Kanna seemed to look directly at Inuyasha now.

"I have been expecting you." She shifted her gaze back to Shiori, "Would you like your fortunes told?"

"Oh, yes!" Shiori said at once. Kanna nodded and told Inuyasha to go and wait outside.

"It will only take a minute."

Inuyasha waited grumpily outside the tent while his daughter had her fortunes told. When they were done, she came out to him, practically giggling her head off.

"What?"

"Your turn, dad!"

"But I don't want-"

"Of course you do!"

He rolled his eyes, annoyed, before he went inside and sat down in the chair opposite Kanna. He opened his mouth to tell her that the last thing he wanted was his future told, but was cut off by Kanna's voice.

"You have lost a great deal in the past. However, you will no longer be alone. You will be with someone and understand the truth."

"Who?" Inuyasha challenged. "And what truth?" But Kanna went on as if she hadn't heard him.

"Very soon… you will discover a secret that had been kept from you all these years. The one thing that you long for the most will become what it always has been. However to protect it you will put yourself at grave risk."

"Oh yeah? What is this one thing that I long for then?" When she didn't answer he said, "It's just a fake fortune."

"If you don't believe me, see for yourself." Kanna turned the mirror towards him.

The surface of the mirror seemed to change before Inuyasha's eyes. He could see shadowy figures running through a shadowy forest. As he stared into the depths of the mirror, he felt drawn into it. He was one of the figures now, running as fast as he could. He could see one shadowed figure running behind him; both going someplace in a hurry.

Suddenly, the vision changed and he saw what appeared to be a man handing a newborn baby to a doctor. At least that's what it looked like to him. He couldn't think of another reason why a doctor would be holding a bundle in a pink blanket. The doctor nodded to the man before he took the baby and left the room.

The man then walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. He couldn't see the man's face but there was something eerily familiar about him. And he didn't like it.

The image faded and Kanna bowed her head. "That is all."

"That's it?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

For a long time she didn't answer; that is until, "Flowers wither and lose their hue, much as we all reflect in vain, time lost to the long rain."

Inuyasha stared at her as if she just spoke Latin. What the hell does that all mean?"

"We all hide behind masks to protect ourselves… All flowers wither and lose their hue eventfully. Behind our façades we must cower, for we are fading. Walking on this lonely path, we remember in vain that memories are long gone. I feel time slipping, bonds growing apart. The time we have will be lost. We all hide behind masks to protect ourselves… but once all the masks are torn away… what will our true face reveal?"

He couldn't help but stare at what she said, feeling chills go up his spine. When she didn't say anything else, he got up and stepped outside to take Shiori's hand. As they walked away, he tried to think that it was all just a waste of time… and yet…

He couldn't forget Kanna's words… he felt goose bumps just thinking about them. And he couldn't get the images he saw in the mirror out of his mind.

He knew he had seen that man somewhere before but where?

**Stage 2: ShowTime**

_*Kagome*_

Kagome and Shippo were walking alongside the tents, laughing at every little thing. Shippo kept glancing around him as if he was searching for something, his mother thought he was only too absorbed with all the festivities.

But the real reason was because he was searching for Shiori and Inuyasha. They promised to find each other after lunch and to get Step 4 underway. But so far he wasn't having any luck at all… that is until he saw two familiar people coming out of a fortune-teller's tent.

Excited, he pointed the opposite way towards a stage where a clown was juggling so that his mother didn't see them. Shippo looked back towards Shiori and tried to catch her eye with Inuyasha noticing.

Luckily for them, Inuyasha was still thinking about his fortune and wasn't paying much attention to anything else. Shiori on the other hand spotted Shippo and gave him an enthusiastic wave. She saw him shake his head quickly before pointing down towards a House of Mirrors and mouthed to her, "Meet us there!"

She nodded, getting the message and pulled her father away before he noticed what had happened. "Daddy! Look over here! Pony rides! Can I go on? Huh? Please? Please? Can I? Please?"

"Alright already," Inuyasha said. "You don't have to beg."

Shippo let out a relieved sigh as he and Kagome went up to the clown and asked for a balloon animal. Shippo walked away with a large balloon hat while Kagome had a large fancy balloon animal wrapped around her waist. "What do you want to do now Shippo?" she asked.

Shippo cried out, "You choose what we go to next. And after that, can we go into the House of Mirrors?"

"Ok, well… I think that there's a dunk tank over there."

"Dunk tanks are fun," Shippo said pulling her rather harshly.

"Unless you're the one getting wet," Kagome muttered as they headed towards the next attraction.

"A _Reverse_ Dunk tank?" Shippo said as he read the sign. He looked up confused at Kagome before asking, "What's a reverse dunk tank?"

Kagome merely pointed as a guy threw a ball and hit the bulls-eye… and a tub of water poured down from above rather than the person dropping into the water.

Shippo laughed and ran up to try.

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha waved at Shiori from the fence as she went round and round on a small grey pony. She waved back happily and called, "Can we get a real pony?"

Inuyasha put on a forced smile and said through his teeth, "We'll see." But he privately thought, _'Not in a million years.' _Once the little pony was done giving her a ride, Shiori grabbed her father's hand and dragged him behind her down the path towards the House of Mirrors.

"What's the hurry?" he yelled.

"I want to go into the House of Mirrors! We can can't we?"

"Yes, but why go there like the devil's behind us?"

"Cause I…" Shiori said, trying to think of a fast excuse. "The fortune lady said that I will find something really nice if I go there! So come on." Of course, Kanna didn't say anything like that. She had told Shiori that everything she had believed about herself will all be tested. She asked Kanna what she meant while she had her look into the mirror. She saw an image of two little babies, sleeping side by side each other… and one suddenly being taken away by a dark shadow.

After that, the imaged faded and the only thing she saw was her own reflection looking up at her.

Shiori shook her head. She didn't like that image at all; it scared her. So instead she used it as an excuse to get her father not to suspect anything. He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything as they continued towards the large building.

_'Ok,'_ Shiori thought to herself. _'I hope this works, Shippo!'_

**Stage 3: Make life interesting**

"Shippo!" Kagome called as Shippo ran inside the house. "Wait up for me!"

"Sorry mommy!" he yelled back. But he had to hurry, Shiori and Inuyasha were sure to arrive soon and they had to be inside when they did. They had everything worked out… now they just had to follow through with it.

Speak of the devil, he could see them both coming up the walkway. Panicking, he ran to grab Kagome by the hand and they nearly pulled her arm out of its socket dragging her.

"Shippo!" Kagome gasped. "What's the big idea?"

"I'm sorry," Shippo said as they finally made it inside. "But I just couldn't wait any longer. Are you angry?"

He gave her enormous sad eyes, which caused some of her anger to fade away—but not all of it. "Yes," she said rubbing her sore shoulder. "But next time I expect you to wait up for me."

Shippo nodded and this time he took her hand very gently and they walked down the long hallway where the mirrors made it seem like there were at least a dozen Kagome's and Shippo's walking besides them. "Something tells me that we're in for a big surprise!" he said fighting the smile that was threatening to tear his face in half.

_*Inuyasha*_

"Ok, Runt, we're here," Inuyasha told an excited Shiori who was practically fighting to get inside. "Now you mind telling me why that fortune teller wanted us to come here?"

Shiori blushed and said, "She said that we'll be getting a big surprise if we go here. So what are we waiting for? Come on!"

Shiori took hold of her father's shirt and began pulling him towards the entrance.

"What's the rush?" Inuyasha asked. "You think the world's gonna end if we don't get in fast enough?"

"Stop complaining," Shiori said. "And let's get inside.

_'Man,'_ Inuyasha thought tiredly, _'Sometimes I swear I'm talking to Kagome. She acts more like her than her than Kikyo.'_

_*Inside with Kagome*_

"What? That's it?" cried Shippo in outrage when he and Kagome finally got to the end of the maze. After the dozens of times they got lost, or ended up walking straight into a mirror, or when they found their way through a large domed room with hundreds of trick mirrors that transfigured their appearances they finally found the main path which lead straight to a dead end in the center of the labyrinth. There was a large sign that read:

**Thanks for stopping by! See if you can find your way out!**

"Well, that's a rip off," Kagome said shaking her head. "Come on, Shippo. It shouldn't be too hard to find our way out."

As they made their way back, Shippo suddenly realized that if Shiori was successful in getting Inuyasha inside, then they were sure to meet up again in that room! In that domed room! He had to make sure that they both ran into each other when that happened. He cried out, "Mom? I think I heard something!"

"Probably just some other poor person who is wasting their time in here," Kagome said calmly.

Shippo let go of his mother's hand and took the left turn yelling out, "No! I think I heard something! Come on!"

Yes! Mom was sure to come running after him now. All that was left was to find Shiori and Inuyasha and let them take it over from there.

"Shippo!" Kagome called out angrily. "Shippo come back here!" Shippo pretended not to be able to hear her and continued down what he hoped was the right path. After a few twists and turns, and a few threats from Kagome, he heard Inuyasha's voice call out in frustration, "Shiori! Get back here or I swear that you'll be grounded until you're my age!"

Shippo finally made it back to the center of the maze almost at the same time that Shiori had. "Shippo!" she said happily. "Daddy's coming and boy is he mad!"

"So is mom!" Shippo answered grinning. "Now all we have to do is wait."

And sure enough, in less than a minute both parents came running into the room fuming.

"Shippo!"

"Shiori!"

As soon as they called out, they both noticed the other. They stopped dead in their tracks.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome said in a stunned voice.

"K-Kagome?"

As they continued to stare at each other's faces, they didn't notice the triumphant smiles on the kid's faces. Stage 3 complete now onto Stage 4.

**Stage 4: Think big**

"What are you doing here?" they both shouted astonished.

"Taking my kid to the carnival," they said together again.

"But…" they both began again before Kagome put her hand on his mouth to quiet him. She then began to laugh, "If I had known that you were going to be here…" she couldn't even finish, as her laughter began to erupt.

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy before he too began to start laughing. "Fancy meeting you here."

Once the laughing fit was over, Kagome wiped her eyes and said, "This is a surprise. A wonderful one though. So, how have you've been enjoying the carnival?"

He just put his arm around her shoulders and steered them towards the path that he and Shiori had just come through. They talked about some of the rides and games that they had all played, but before they reached the exit, the parents frowned at their kids and Inuyasha asked, "Shiori? Shippo? Why do I get the feeling that you guys knew about this?"

The kids both stopped dead in their tracks and gave them nervous smiles. "Why, whatever could you mean dad?" Shiori asked.

"We're just as surprised as you guys to run into each other like this," Shippo said. "It's a small world isn't it?"

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. "You two are lucky that we're in a good mood. But we're going to have a very long talk when we get home."

They spent the rest of the afternoon going on rides, checking out all the attractions, and eating all of the junk food that they passed. It wasn't until they finally reached the line to get onto the rollercoaster did something interesting happen.

"Mommy!" Shiori cried. "Can we go on that?"

"Ah, no," Kagome said.

"What? Why not?" Shippo demanded.

"Cause, the sign says that you must be this tall to ride and you both are too short."

As they all started to move on, the kids complaining as loudly as they could, the man at the entrance suddenly grabbed Kagome and Inuyasha by their arms and pulled them towards the ride. "W-What's going on?" Inuyasha yelled as the man continued to pull them through the gate.

"Look," the man said, "If you want to get on the ride then come on. We have a large line."

"What makes you think…?" Kagome began.

"You were standing outside, waiting to get in weren't you?"

"Well, yeah but we weren't…"

"Well, come on."

"Now wait just a minute!"

But the rest of Inuyasha's sentence was drowned out because the couple swiftly found themselves in the small seats. Before they could get back out, the iron handlebars locked down, trapping them in the ride.

"Ah oh," Kagome said. The ride started to move and Kagome was holding onto Inuyasha's arm as they began to skyrocketing upward, going higher, higher, higher… HIGHER. They sat at the top of the hill for about a second before gravity finally settled in. Nasty thing, gravity.

Kagome screamed as she hid her face in Inuyasha's shoulder as the wind whipped her face and her hair began to fly all over the place. They flew down the tracks every large turn or loop-d-loop made her feel like she was about to be sick. Normally, she hated rollercoaster's—yet, she kept her eyes open and soon realized that she was actually enjoying herself.

She started laughing, which sounded more like a scream, while Inuyasha started to laugh out of pure joy of the speed and the wind. After a few more minutes, the cars came to a stop where they began, rather roughly, and the ride is over.

"Alright! Everybody out!" the same man who forced them to get on yelled, "We have a long line!"

Laughing, Inuyasha held out his hand to help Kagome get off, but she was laughing so hard that she could hardly stand up. He put his arm under her arm and helped her up to stand up as they struggled to find their kids.

Shippo and Shiori were still standing next to the 'You must be this tall to ride' sign. They were torn between looking happy that their parents had so much fun on the ride, and disappointment from not being able to ride it themselves. But one good thing happened while they were on the rollercoaster, they talked about the next stage.

"You think that it's going to be good?" Shiori asked.

"Yeah, I spotted it when me and mommy got here," Shippo said. "When they get off, all we have to do is lead them to the Trolley Ride. Don't worry, I think that they're really going to like this one."

**Stage 5: Think bigger**

After Kagome recovered from her laughing fit, they all went on the carousel before the children got their faces painted. Shippo had tiger strips while Shiori got a rainbow on her cheek; and they were all deciding where to go next when Shippo said, "Mom? Can we go back to the Trolley Ride? It must be open by now?"

"I don't see why not," Kagome said.

"But Shippo," Shiori said as she had to fulfill her part of the plan. "Only little kids are allowed to ride the Trolley Ride."

"Oh, yeah," answered Shippo. "Mom? Dad? Do you mind going on a ride or something while we go on the trolley?"

"That depends," Inuyasha said stubbornly. "As long as that ride is next to the trolley."

"Oh there is," Shippo replied grinning. "I bet that you won't get on it though."

Inuyasha loved proving people wrong… and he especially love making bets with people who he loved proving wrong. "You're on. What ride is it?"

"You'll see," he chirped as they headed back towards the entrance. There was a reason why he and Shiori chose the Trolley Ride… not only because they wanted to ride it since they got here… but because of the ride that was next to it.

When they got there—they were standing—outside a ride that read:

**_Tunnel of Love_**

Inuyasha's jaw dropped as the thought of, _'You got to be kidding me,' _went through his head.

Kagome shook her head in amazement._ 'Of all the possible rides…'_

"They put this ride here for parents while their kids are on the trolley," Shiori said in a know-it-all tone. "They also put up several security guards so that the parents don't have to worry about their kids running off or something."

"So you guys take your time and we'll meet you back here soon!" Shippo cried as he and Shiori both went running towards the train that already had a ton of other kids waiting to go.

"We've been set up," Inuyasha said.

"Yep," Kagome agreed. "I was just thinking about that myself. But if you don't want to go…"

"Yeah, but if I don't, then Shippo's never going to let me forget it." He looked at her and whispered, "You want to go?"

"Ah… W-well I j-just thought…" Kagome stuttered.

"Let's go," Inuyasha merely grunted and they both headed toward the heart-shaped tunnel. "It just better be good."

Once they were out of the crowds, and entered a small tent where they would be getting into the boats. There was a sigh above the entrance that read:

**_Please keep your hands and feet in the boat at all times. But you are more than welcome to place them anywhere else._**

"Oh, please." Kagome rolled her eyes just as she felt warm hands cover her eyes gently. Warm, muscular arms grazed her as hot breath tickled against her hair.

"We can put our hands anywhere but outside the boat?" asked the familiar, deep, masculine vocals of Inuyasha.

Kagome giggled before putting her hands on his own and saying, "That's what the sign said." She took his hands off her face and twisted around to see him. "Come on."

He slowly bent and wrapped his arms around her midriff in a soft embrace. Her cheeks heated up almost immediately at his sudden action. Her heart pounded wildly against its cage; Kagome was sure Inuyasha could hear the increased thumping reverberating against his chest.

_*After the boat finally came*_

They sat in a tiny boat as they went into the dark tunnel. They passed under the curtains that covered the entrance and they were in pitch darkness. Until little lights began to glow like stars above them… it was like they were sailing down a river with the whole solar system glowing above. She breathed in the scent of flower petals and she could hear something that sounded like a waterfall. Kagome gasped in pleasure as she leaned into Inuyasha, her head on his shoulder.

"I have to admit…" Inuyasha said after a little while, "I never really liked rides like this… but I have to say that this… isn't so bad."

Kagome smiled as she shut her eyes, breathing in his musky, and yet spicy scent. "I'm glad that you think so." She looked him in the eye and asked, "Do you get the feeling that our kids planned this out for us?"

He chuckled. "You think so too?"

"Can't say that I mind… at least this time," she said. Inuyasha sighed, "Yeah, but if they pull a stunt like this again, I don't think we have to worry about them going on dates when they're older. They are going to be grounded until they're through with high school."

Kagome laughed again as she felt him put his arm around her waist and hold her close. "But you have to admit…" she said, "We have some smart kids."

"Well, I'll give you that," Inuyasha admitted.

The lights dimmed suddenly and they were back in pitch darkness again. Even though, Kagome couldn't see him, she knew that he was smiling. She grinned as their lips closed the distance between them.

**Stage 6: All out war**

"That was fun!" Shiori shouted when the lovebirds finally arrived at the gate to pick them up. "Did you guys have a good time?"

"It wasn't so bad," Inuyasha said vaguely. Shiori seemed disappointed when they didn't go into details but didn't say anything as she began to yawn.

"Looks like we should consider leaving soon," Kagome said in response.

"No!" Shippo cried. "We can't leave yet! There are to many games!"

"Yeah! I'm not tired really!" agreed Shiori.

Both parents sighed. "Fine. But after we play a couple more games we go home. No exceptions."

"Ok!" they both agreed and headed towards a booth.

"You think that maybe we spoil them?" Inuyasha asked as they began to play Ring Toss. (Player tries to toss plastic rings over a stand.)

Kagome shrugged. "Just a little bit. Don't worry; we'll get much stricter when they get older."

"Mom!" Shiori cried. "You and me vs. Shippo and daddy! How about it?"

The lovebirds shared another grin. "Loser pays for college for the winner's kid."

"Oh, you know I can't resist a bet," Inuyasha smirked. "You are so on."

They played Break-a-Plate: where the only rule is to break plates. The boys won hands down.

Can Knockdown: stack cans in a pyramid you try to knock down. This time the girls won.

Dart Throw: destroy inflated balloons with push pins. The girls won here again.

Milk Bottle Knockdown: just like Can Knockdown except with milk bottles. Boys win.

Goldfish toss: try to throw a ping pong ball into a goldfish bowl to win a pet fish, (harder than it looks). Girls won here.

And finally, they played something like a large version of Wack-a-mole. Boys win again.

By the time that they were finished, they had all ended in a draw and were left with no idea who won. "Ok, how about we pretend that we never made this bet," Kagome said.

"Ah, yeah… I think that's for the best," Inuyasha approved.

"Made what bet?" Shippo asked.

"Exactly," was all Inuyasha said.

Their kids couldn't care less about collage anyway as they walked away, with some new pet goldfish, Stick on Gems, Plastic Rings, Mini Sticky Hands & Feet, some Kazoos, Neon Spin Tops, and some toy Sheriff Badges.

Shiori couldn't wait to try on her new Jump Rope and was wearing a pin Princess Hat while Shippo was chewing gum from his new Baseball Gum Dispenser and playing with his new foam Pirate Sword. However, they were both quickly dozing off. And looked like they were about to fall asleep at any moment.

Inuyasha took pity and carried both of them, who were both out like lights as soon as he picked them up, back to their cars. Kagome carried everything else and once they reached her car, Inuyasha helped her put in all of the things that Shippo won in the trunk after he put Shippo in the backseat.

He then lead Kagome over to his own car only two rows over to help with Shiori. Once the little girl was safely in the backseat and everything else on the floor, they turned to say goodbye.

**Stage 7: Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done and celebrate in style**

"We just can't seem to be able to stay away from each other for long huh?" Kagome asked.

"Sure looks like it."

"Well, I'm glad. I had a really fun time with you guys… again."

"Keh, me too."

Kagome stopped herself from saying, _'I love everything about you. Because I can't picture myself changing anything about you…'_ for she felt embarrassed just thinking it. Could someone really be this perfect for her? Or was this one of those _'too good to be true'_ situations…?

Inuyasha leant over and gave her a long kiss as he reached out his hands and took hers. Amongst the cold air, his warm hands wrapped around hers providing warmth. Of course, Kagome felt as if she didn't need it as long as their lips were touching.

All too soon, they had to pull away nonetheless.

"So… I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow when I drop Shiori off at school?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, you will," Kagome replied before silently thinking to herself, _'He really is quite perfect…'_

_'She really is perfect,'_ Inuyasha thought to himself. He softly ran his thumbs over her hands gently. Her heart pounded again, this time slower, but it still caused her blood to rush in her veins and chills to erupt on her neck and arms.

They didn't move from this position for a long time… time which was forgotten while they, together entranced, gazed at each other for a long time. It was only until a crowd of people were coming out of the closed park did they finally snap out if it and Kagome turned to head back to her car. But as she did, she turned and blew Inuyasha a kiss.

Little did they know… someone was watching.

**(There you go! A long chapter. I hope you all like it. I know that this story is long, but bear with me for a little longer. This story is coming to an end. Now sure how many more chapters there are going to be… but I think at least 5. Thinking about putting in an epilogue… not so sure about that. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for sticking with this for so long. The next chapter will go up as soon as I think of it.)**


	45. Goodnight Song

**Chapter 45: Goodnight Song**

Hojo smirked as he walked through the tiny motel room, greeting the man that he had been waiting to arrive for the last several weeks. A man with long greasy black hair looked down at his newspaper before telling Hojo for probably the millionth time why it took him so long to get here.

"I keep telling you," Naraku said impatiently, "I was stuck in Mexico dealing with… another job."

"I couldn't care less about your personal life Naraku," Hojo said. "I've been waiting for you to get here for ages. You're lucky that I didn't hire someone else. But then again… Kagome will be all the more crushed when I finally get what I want."

"Again with that woman? Can't you talk about something else for once? If I didn't know any better, I would swear that you are still obsessed with her," Naraku said calmly.

"Please," Hojo scoffed. "I only planned on dating her for a little while and then dump her for some other girl when I was done with her. Is it my fault that she got pregnant?"

"Don't yell at me. It's not my fault either," Naraku began before Hojo cut him off.

"Oh shut up! It doesn't matter anymore. That kid is actually going to be a use to me. Are you in?"

Naraku rolled his eyes, "I told you. Pay me the right price and I'll get the job done. But just so we're clear, are you sure that you don't want either the brat or the woman dead?"

"Yes, not much use to me if they die are they? Not to worry Naraku, I have a plan."

Naraku turned his eyes away from the newspaper he was reading, "What is it now?"

"If Kagome won't give me Shippo, I'll have to take him by force. All we have to do is kidnap the brat!"

Naraku went back to his paper and asked in a bored tone, "Remind me, why do you want this kid so badly again?"

"So I can get the money for Child Support!" Hojo snapped at him.

Naraku folded up the paper and set it on his desk, "Why waste your time by going through all this? You could just marry some rich wench and have money that way. And then… get rid of her!"

Hojo turned away from Naraku, "I got a better idea. You know that she's been dating that rich Takahashi punk. Now I thought for sure that he'd break up with her once he found out about what happened between me and Kagome—but no. No matter, in a way, I'm almost glad that it worked out this way."

"What does Takahashi have to do with anything?" Naraku asked annoyed now.

"Don't you listen?" snarled Hojo. "The guy is filthy rich! We can make enough money from him to last the rest of our lives. But kidnapping Shippo might not be enough…"

"What are you saying?" Naraku asked, finally interested.

"You'll have to see now, won't you?" Hojo's voice dripped with a honey-like poison.

_*Kagome and Inuyasha*_

A few days after the carnival, Kagome and Shippo both went over to Inuyasha's after dinner, because Shiori said that she wanted Shippo to sleep over and Kagome to read her a story for bedtime instead of Inuyasha. Kagome had just put the kids to bed and read them a story when Shippo asked her what was probably the last thing she expected.

"Mommy?" Shippo begged as Kagome pulled up his covers. "Can you sing that song that you used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep at night?"

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "I haven't done that for a long time Shippo. I thought that you said that you were too old for that."

"Yeah but… Shiori never heard it," Shippo said blushing.

"Oh, can I hear it mommy?" Shiori begged. "Is it pretty? I bet it is! Can you sing it? Please?"

Kagome hesitated for a moment before she smiled and began to sing softly.

_Make my wish come true, let darkness fade to light_

_Show me there's still hope, show me it's not over_

_Battles we can win, our struggle lies within_

_Will we live to greet the dawn?_

_Love will not leave you, hate will not heal you_

_Promise me one day that peace shall reign._

_ (I own nothing. I just thought that this song was really appropriate. If you want to hear it, it's called Serah's theme.)_

She then gave them each a kiss on the head and said goodnight.

Inuyasha watched from the doorway, his ear still tingling from the song…

A small smile gracing his features as his thoughts drifted,_ 'She'd make a fantastic mom to Shiori. Oh, what the hell am I thinking? Yes, we're dating but I don't want to scare her off by moving too fast.'_

Inuyasha shook himself out of his thoughts before he said goodnight to Shippo and Shiori, and led Kagome back to the living room. They both sat down on the couch, just in front of a roaring fire—comfortable just to be in each other's presence.

Kagome leaned her head against Inuyasha's shoulder, "You know something? You did a great job of raising Shiori. She's so sweet."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he places his head on top of hers, "Kagome?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"You spending the night?"

"I guess… if that's alright with you?"

"No, I don't mind. We have a guest room that you can use." Inuyasha didn't say anything else for awhile; just wanting to enjoy the moment with Kagome sitting so near him. Finally, about half an hour of staring into the fire without another word, he said, "Kagome?"

"Hm?"

He took her hand, "I love you…"

Kagome grinned and kissed his lips softly, "I love you too."

Inuyasha kissed her back; Kagome moved and was now sitting on his lap as they deepening the kiss. All Kagome could do was gulp as she tried to breathe properly. The sweet, husky scent of his cologne and natural scent had infiltrated her nose. Her heart pounded in her ears.

She'd never been so in-tuned to one single person. There was something different about him than anyone else she ever met.

She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise as she could feel his intense stare focused on her bare neck, exposed because her hair had been thrown into a messy bun. As even more chills ran up and down her body, one word floated across her befuddled mind… Inuyasha…

Inuyasha was starting to smell her arousal and pulled away. Kagome gave him a puzzled look, "What's wrong?"

Inuyasha shook his head and smirked, "I just think we're getting a little carried away."

"Is that a good thing?"

He smirked, "That depends."

"On…?"

"I'll explain later," Inuyasha said as Kagome got up off his lap and went back to leaning her head back on his shoulder.

"Kagome, you're not like other girls."

"Yeah I know." She sat up straight and glanced at the stairs behind them, as if making sure that they were both alone. "But isn't that what makes you like me, right?" she asked, returning her gaze to his piercing one.

He smiled lopsidedly, "I guess so…course, there are other things too…"

"Really? Is that so?" she raised a questioning eyebrow. "Like what?" she asked excitedly and scooted closer, Inuyasha was incredibly aware of how close she was now.

"Like…" he put his hand to his chin and pretended to take a while to think. "No give me a sec, this might take a while."

Kagome jokingly hit him in the arm. He turned his head, so that he was staring directly into her eyes.

She'd just been joking, not expecting him to answer, but he did.

"You're funny. And really easy to talk to." He leaned in closer. "You're a good mother… and, you know," he blushed, "you're kind of cute too." He put his left hand on her cheek. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. He leaned forwards.

"Wazz goin' on?" Shiori said groggily, still half asleep.

Kagome and Inuyasha jumped apart to see Shiori standing there with a glass of water in her hands. "Shiori?" Kagome said standing up. "What are you doing here?"

Shiori held up the glass and said sleepily, "Got thirsty."

Inuyasha shook his head and began muttering under his breath as Kagome led her back to her room and said, "Ok, you have everything?"

Shiori nodded before she rolled over and went back to sleep. "Night, night momma," she said with a yawn.

Kagome felt her heart swell, just like every time that Shiori calls her mom. She gently ran her hand through Shiori's hair before repeating the gesture with Shippo on the spare bed. He grinned slightly in his sleep before he nuzzled into his pillow before he muttered the words 'Step 5' in his sleep.

_'Step 5?'_ Kagome thought in confusion. _'Step 5 of what?'_

Pushing it out of her mind, she shut the light off and was about to head towards the staircase when she felt Inuyasha grab her hand.

He pulled her towards his chest and ran his fingers through her hair, gently touching her cheek. He could hear her soft intake of breath. They both could hear their kids grumbling a bit in their sleep, but at the moment, the only thing that they could focus on right now was each other.

_*Kagome's thoughts*_

His golden eyes stared back into her, she could hear her heart in tune with his. Why was love always so complicated? When did she first begin to have such strong feelings for him? Why is it whenever he looks at her she forgets where she, and what she's doing?

_*Inuyasha's thoughts*_

Her dark brown eyes stared back into his, momentarily making him speechless. Does love always make you feel this way? When did his heart fall head-over-heels with her? And why is it that whenever she smiles, somehow he finds himself smiling along with her?

Kagome gently took his face into her hands, making his swallow more a gulp as his cheeks quickly began to burn. She wiped his mouth with her thumb and his nose with a pointer finger as if memorizing every inch of his face. One hand remained motionless on his cheekbone, warm against his heating skin. She just looked into his eyes for a moment, an unspoken gesture saying more than words ever could. She gently held her hand against his cheek as she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

Beyond the light blush still lay a sweet smile…

He kissed her back and whispered, "Good night, Kagome."

That's when she slipped like water from his hold and silently padded down the stairs, eventually disappearing into the darkness, her "Good night," softly echoing down to him.

As he watched her get into her car and back out of the driveway, he sighed heavily, "Everything is perfect."

Little did he know, that his perfect world would soon be shattered.

_*Hojo*_

Hojo had an evil grin plastered on his face. This whole plot was going to work in his favor and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it from going his way.

"You know the plan, right, Naraku?" he asked as she leaned on his desk.

"Yeah, I understand. I still don't see why we don't simplify this and just kidnap the kid!"

"Because," Hojo smirked, "Kagome would know that I was the one responsible for it. If everything goes according to plan then we both will become very rich. And maybe I'll be able to get Shippo in my custody to get the Child Support like I originally planned."

"You truly want that brat?" Naraku asked.

"Of course not!" Hojo said leaning back in his chair. "I could always do with a servant around the house however."

Naraku sat thoughtful for a moment before asking, "Are you sure that the woman doesn't know the truth about what happened that day…?"

Hojo sent a death glare at Naraku, "If she knew then don't you think that she would've done something about it by now? No, she honestly doesn't know the truth about the twins. But now that you mention it… maybe I should tell that Takahashi. I wonder how he'll take it when he learns the truth.

**(We are finally nearing the answer to the question that everyone is asking about! Please review and I'll put up the next chapter as soon as possible)**


	46. The Sound of Thunder

**Chapter 46: The Sound of Thunder**

Kagome was fast asleep in the guest room at Inuyasha's house… at least she was. It was about 1:00 in the morning when she was suddenly awakened by the sound of an enormous…

**BOOM!**

Kagome sat bolt-upright. Don't you hate that? You're in a deep sleep and then thunder goes and wakes you up? It sucks. She looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to remember what had happened—before realizing where she was. Letting out a shaky laugh, she lay back down and tried to go to sleep again…

But then…

Her bedroom door burst open and a little figure, dressed all in white, came running into the room and over to her bed. "Mommy!" Shiori cried as she grabbed Kagome's hand. Kagome sat up again, brushing the hair out of her eyes in the process and asked, "Shiori? What's wrong? Are you scared of the thunder?"

Shiori shook her head, but at that second another loud **Boom** sounded and she let out another scream of fright and climbed into bed with her. Kagome pulled back the blanket and she allowed Shiori to bury her head into her arms.

"Shiori," Kagome said, trying to sooth the scared girl. "It's ok… it's only noise."

"But it's so loud!" Shiori cried. Thunder sounded again and Shiori let out another yelp of fear. At that moment, Kagome heard something over all the noise…

"What the hell are you doing—" yelled a voice from the other end of the hall and Kagome had a sneaking suspension that Shippo was up with Inuyasha.

Kagome took Shiori by the hand and said, "Come on. I think that Shippo's up with your father. And you know how cranky he gets when he first wakes up."

She gently tugged Shiori out of the bedroom and across the hall to where the sounds of Shippo and Inuyasha's voice called out in. "What's wrong with you? Go back to bed!"

"But it was the thunder!"

"It's just noise! It's nothing to be afraid of!"

"But dad!"

"I see that it's not just me," Kagome said, coming into the room with Shiori. Inuyasha was flat on his back, Shippo on his stomach and looking back at them in surprise. "Hey, mommy," Shippo said in surprise. "Shiori? Did the thunder wake you up too?"

Shiori nodded, looking a little ashamed of herself for acting scared. "Sorry, mom," she whispered. "For waking you up."

Kagome only smiled gently, before she picked her up and carried her over to Inuyasha's bed. "It's ok. I was already awake. The thunder woke me up too."

Inuyasha lowered his head back onto the pillow and let out a sigh of annoyance. "Ok, the storm woke us all up. So how about we all go back to sleep now?"

"NO!" Shiori yelled.

"And what do you want us to do when we hear thunder again? Do you want us to run in here all night?" Shippo piped up.

Inuyasha groaned as he turned over under his blankets, which made Shippo fall off the bed. Kagome moved up until she was next to the lump that was Inuyasha's head and pulled back the covers. "I don't think that it'll kill you to lose a few minutes of sleep to comfort your kids."

Inuyasha gave her an annoyed look before letting the kids crawl up between them. "Will you stay too mommy?" Shiori cooed as she got comfortable.

"Yeah, mommy," Inuyasha repeated slyly. "If I have to stay up until they fall asleep then so do you."

Kagome raised her eyebrows and got into bed with the rest of them. Kagome was on the far left with Shippo snuggled into her, just as Shiori was doing with Inuyasha. Kagome looked around, getting a good view of Inuyasha's bedroom. It was the first time she had been in there. The walls were a creamy tan color and the king-sized bed had deep red sheets and a tan comforter. She looked through the curtains of a large window to see that the rain was getting harder as the lightning and thunder continued to roar outside.

"Remind me," Inuyasha said looking down at the two kids, "How I let you talk me into this?"

"Because we're cute?" Shippo suggested.

"Watch it kid," Inuyasha said threateningly as he lay back onto his pillow.

"Don't be so hard on them Inuyasha," Kagome said.

"Yeah, daddy," Shiori said. "After all—we're just a couple innocent little kids."

"Innocent?" Inuyasha repeated. "Yeah, you maybe, Shiori. But Shippo…"

"Watch it," Kagome warned.

"I'm just saying…"

The argument all went on for a few minutes until the children began to fall asleep again. "Mom?" Shippo asked as he rubbed his tired eyes. Can you tell me what grandpa used to say to you when you couldn't fall asleep?"

"You want to hear it? I thought you told me that you were getting to old for that," Kagome asked shrewdly.

"Yeah well…" Shippo said a little defensively. "I mean… for Shiori! She never heard it and it might calm her down."

"Ah, huh," Kagome said. She was thankful for the darkness because she was rolling her eyes. "How thoughtful of you Shippo."

"What did grandpa used to tell you?" Shiori asked. Kagome saw Inuyasha's ears twitch and she knew that he was also listening."

"Well… all kids get afraid of thunder… at least for a little while," Kagome answered softly. "Whenever there was a big storm like this one, or I had trouble getting to sleep, grandpa—my father—would take my hand and perform… I dunno. Some kind of magic spell to help me go back to sleep. And I used to do it to with Shippo. At least until he said that he got too old for it."

"Ooo," Shiori gasped. "A magic spell?"

"Well, that's what I used to call it," Kagome answered. She took hold of Shippo's hand, and then reached over him to grasp Shiori's. "He took my hand like this, and would recite:

Take a pinch of fairy dust,  
And an angel's single feather,  
Also a bit of love and compassion,  
Then blend them all together.  
Add a gentle word or two,  
A caring wish or line,  
A touch of stardust, a ray of sunshine…  
It's a recipe, for a sweet dream truly fine. 

As soon as she said those few words, the children's eyes began to droop. "That's really pretty," Shiori said almost dreamlike. Within a few more minutes, and repeating the spell a couple times, Shippo and Shiori had finally dropped off to sleep again.

Kagome began to run her hand through Shippo's hair in a motherly way for a little while. She was just beginning to wonder if she should go back to her room when she heard Inuyasha speak so quietly that it was almost a whisper.

"You are something else, Kagome."

She looked up, and she could see the tiny lights of his golden eyes staring at her in the darkness. For some reason, she felt like she had seen them staring at her in the darkness like this before; but she quickly pushed it out of her mind.

"I beg to differ," she whispered back softly before she took his hand and began tracing his palm with loving fingers. "I think you're the one who's something else…" she stopped tracing his hand and went up to his face and began to stroke his cheek.

He emitted a slight growl and closed his eyes as if enjoying it and asked, "And why would that be?"

"Because of what you feel about me…" she said very quietly, her gaze downcast.

"What I…" Inuyasha thought deeply… what he felt about her? That he… loved her? It, by far, was no lie.

"You… you'd have to be crazy… to… to love somebody… somebody like me."

"Why do you say that?" he said angrily, "Why? Just because I love you for who you are?"

"You…" she turned her head away, "You don't understand."

"No," he grabbed her face and made her look at him. "It's you who doesn't understand. If anyone should not be accepted… it would be him," his eyes were pleading, begging her to understand. "Your good for nothing **ex**-husband Hobo. What he did to you, the way he shunned you and Shippo—as if he was ashamed of you… you both deserve better than that. And he doesn't deserve someone like you. If I didn't know better, I could swear that there was no way that Shippo could be his son."

Kagome gave him a sad smile. "I wish it was true. You know something strange? Sometimes I feel that Shippo's… never mind."

"What? That he's what?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Can't. It'll wake these runts up and will have to help them go back to sleep all over again."

Kagome sighed before she looked him straight in the eye and replied, "Sometimes I feel that he's your son and not Hojo's. Sometimes… sometimes the way that Shippo acts—even looks—reminds me more of you than Hojo. Sometimes I can almost believe that he's your child. Maybe it's because we're together all the time but…"

"No, I know what you mean," Inuyasha said seriously, "I've noticed that with Shiori." He reached over and began to trace Kagome's lips, "I didn't notice it at first, but she acts more like you every day. I swear that she even has your smile."

Kagome smiled at that. To think that Shiori could be her real daughter was too good to be true. And to think that Inuyasha was the father of her own child was beyond her wildest dreams. But she knew better.

"Kagome, all I want to do is love and care for you; I want to…" Inuyasha said so quietly that Kagome almost couldn't hear him. "I want to be with you. I… I've never… felt this way before. Not so strongly. And to be honest, it scares me."

Kagome's hands trembled as she slowly raised them; finally, tangling her fingers in his wild, white hair.

"It scares me too," she whispered. "It's something my father once said to me. Falling in love… it's like you're walking a tightrope. You're up so high, walking by on nothing more than a thin rope, and if you do fall the net is supposed to catch you. I think that it's the same thing with everybody. Most—if not all people are afraid of falling in love. Not because of loving someone else… I think it's because they're afraid that the net won't be there to catch them when it happens."

Inuyasha jerked his head back and desperately searched her eyes for an answer, some answer; any inkling of a clue or a sign. "I never let anyone get close to me. Never. Not since Kikyo died. I said to myself back then that I could never love again. But the truth is—deep in my heart—you're the one I love. The only one my heart can love."

She raised her head, careful not to disturb their children, closed the distance between their lips slowly and pressed her lips softly against his.

He stopped kissing her to affectionately stroke the side of her face. Letting the sound of her thumping heart wash over him, he realized it reminded him of a dog's wagging tail, thumping from excitement and exhilaration.

As his mind wandered around the dog thought, he suddenly was filled with guilt, not for the first time that night. He pulled his head away and looked into her dark eyes; he could barely make out her face in the darkness.

"It's like magic, isn't it?" she asked randomly.

"How so?"

"Magic seems so… mystical, strange. And yet it holds so many possibilities, secrets, and hidden desires." She looked down at Shippo and Shiori who were both still dreaming deeply. "With magic, as with love… anything seems possible… doesn't it? Just like in the old fairytales. She then began to recite: (I don't own this little poem)

Cinderella walked on broken glass,

Sleeping beauty let a whole lifetime pass.

Belle fell in love with a hideous beast,

Pocahontas risked her life for a feast.

Jasmine could have had anyone but instead she chose a poor man,

Ariel walked all for love and life on land.

It was all about blood, sweat, and tears,

And that's why love is about facing your biggest fears.

He kissed her lips sweetly.

"This is true," he said simply.

"You ever feel that you've been waiting for someone? You've been waiting and searching your whole life for that one special someone?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied plainly. "Maybe you're the one I'm waiting for… and maybe I'm the one that you're searching for."

Kagome nodded in agreement and lay back down. They intertwined their hands and in no time they were sound asleep, the rain drizzling outside. But the storm went unnoticed to the four people all dreaming peacefully inside the house.

Kagome woke up the next morning to the bright rays of sun that streamed in through the window. She slowly opened her eyes and the first thing that she noticed was that Shippo and Shiori were gone. The second thing that she noticed was that she still at Inuyasha's house and she was not alone in the bed. Inuyasha's arms were tightly wrapped around Kagome with her head resting on his chest. He was still sound asleep.

But as she began to move, his eyes snapped open. He looked down at her and realized the positions that they were both in. Blushing they both sat up and he said, "Morning."

"Good morning to you too," Kagome said as she pulled away and looked around the room, "Wait, where's Shippo? And Shiori?"

Inuyasha shrugged and got out of bed. The two of them poked their head out of the bedroom to find Shippo sitting on the couch watching early morning cartoons. Inuyasha looked at them and asked, "Shippo, Shiori why didn't you wake us up?"

They never took their eyes off the TV, and it was Shippo who replied, "You two looked comfy, we didn't want to bother you…"

Kagome blushed lightly and walked towards the kitchen, "What do you two want for breakfast before we head back home?"

Shippo jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen, "French toast!"

Shiori was only seconds behind him and cried out, "No pancakes!"

"All right, waffles it is," Kagome said, and began working on breakfast.

_*After breakfast*_

After breakfast, Inuyasha walked Kagome and Shippo out to her car.

Kagome smiled and hugged him, "I had a really nice time. Just like every date that we have. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Inuyasha hugged her back tightly and inhaled her scent deeply. "Ah… Kagome?" he asked a little nervously.

"Hmm?" was her reply.

"Ah… listen… do you want… what I mean is… I want to talk to you about something important. Do you want to…? I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go out next weekend? My mother says that she'll be more than happy to babysit."

"Of course! What time?"

"I'll pick you up around 8. Sound okay?" Inuyasha let out the breath he had unknowingly been holding.

"Yeah, I'll see you then!"

Kagome gave him another kiss before she and Shippo both got in the car and drove away. Inuyasha waited until he was sure that they were both out of sight and that Shiori was back in the house before he reached into his pocket and began to play around with something. He knew what he wanted—he just had to work up the courage to go through with it. He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it to show a large diamond ring.

Meanwhile, things were in motion to screw things up for the "happy couple". Hojo had a plan and it would mess everything up… if it worked…

**(Sorry for not updating for a long time, but there was something wrong with Fanfiction for me. Every time I tried to update, it said problem error. Well it's finally fixed and I hope you review.)**


	47. Tearstained Raindrops

**Chapter 47: Tearstained Raindrops**

Hojo had an evil grin plastered on his face. This whole plot was going to work in his favor and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it from going his way.

"You know the plan, right, Naraku?" he asked as he leaned on his desk.

"Yeah, I understand. I still don't see why we don't simplify this and just kidnap the brats!"

"Because," Hojo smirked, "I want the money and the woman…"

Naraku interrupted him, "But what if the 'woman' doesn't want you. You did just dump her and the kids behind like they were garbage or something…"

Hojo sent a death glare at Naraku, "Look. I know what I'm doing alright?"

"Do you really want me to answer that? Now, if we do this, I want to do it my way. Understood?"

Hojo thought on it for a moment, before he said grouchily, "Fine, we'll do it your way."

_*The kids*_

"So," Izayoi asked as she handed Shippo a large glass of milk and set a plate of cookies on the table. "How is everything going with your plan?"

"Great grandma!" Shiori piped up. "All that's left is Stage 5!"

"Oh? Do you mind telling me what it is?" she asked smiling, "I don't mean to tell you this Shippo, but I would absolutely LOVE to have Kagome for a daughter-in-law. But I don't see what's taking them so long to admit that they like each other."

"Oh they do," Shiori said. "We know that they love each other, but they're too stubborn to admit it."

Shippo stuffed a whole cookie in his mouth and said through the crumbs, "Naon we kan't tall ou gage 5."

"Shippo don't talk with your mouth full," Izayoi told him sternly.

Shippo took a deep gulp and swallowed his cookie. "Sorry grandma, we have to be really careful with Stage 5."

"Yeah, we know what to do though," Shiori added. She suddenly caught a strange scent in the air and asked, "Grandma? Is that a new perfume you're wearing? It smells so sweet."

Izayoi looked at them confused and asked, "I'm not wearing any perfume dear. Why are you asking?"

"Well then what's that smell?" she asked.

Shippo looked at her in confusion and also began to take deep breathes. "Hey, yeah," he said. "What is that smell?" His eyes suddenly began to droop, "W-what is t-th-that smell?" he asked with a yawn.

"Don't yawn!" Shiori said. "Y-y-you're gon-gonna make me…" she didn't get to finish her sentence due to the fact that she was falling asleep at the table. She put her head down on her arms and began to doze off.

The sweet scent was so thick and smelled so heavenly that all three of them were falling asleep where they were; and before they knew it… all three of them were soon in a deep sleep.

Once they were out cold, two figures appeared in the doorway with thick cloths over their noses and mouths. "Hurry," one of them said as he strode forward to the table. "This gas won't keep them asleep for long."

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha had driven Kagome and Shippo over to his parent's house for the evening. Kagome gave both kids a quick kiss on the cheek as she and Inuyasha were getting ready to leave.

"Now you both behave yourselves for grandma ok?" she told them.

"Ok," they both replied automatically. "Momma? Where are you and daddy going?"

Kagome shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Inuyasha said that he wanted to talk to me about something important and that's all I know."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called from the car.

She waved back at him and called, "Ok, I'm coming in a minute!" She turned her attention back to the kids and said, "We should be back soon. And when we do I want to hear that you both were perfect angels ok?"

They both nodded with tiny smiles and they said at the same time, "We promise."

With that said, Kagome said goodbye to Izayoi and left with Inuyasha.

"You sure took your time," he told her once she was in the car.

"What? I just wanted to make sure that they were going to be good. They were both really hyper today at school."

"Keh," Inuyasha said looking at Kagome, "Now that you mention it, you do look a little tired."

"Yeah, but just a little," Kagome replied. "I swear I don't know where they got all this energy but I have to say that I'm a little jealous. Maybe I'm getting old."

"You're not old," Inuyasha said firmly. "Just a little well-seasoned—like a mummy."

She punched him in the arm and yelled out, "Be nice."

"Heh," Inuyasha said with a laugh, "Well, at least you can have one night off from kid duty this week." Kagome gave him a week smile as they pulled up into a classy Japanese-style restaurant.

Kagome's eyes lit up as she got out of the car and entered the restaurant. She stared at the beautiful surroundings before she said in an awed tone, "Inuyasha, this is wonderful

Inuyasha smiled at her; she looked like a kid in a candy shop, "I was hoping you would like it."

"Like it? Inuyasha," she flashed a brilliant smile at him, "I love it!"

Inuyasha walked up to the person at the desk, "Reservation for two, under the name Takahashi."

The hostess grabbed the menus, "Your table is ready. Just follow me." She brought the two to their table, a little table for two in near the wall with a large window over-looking a beautiful scene of the city at night.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed as she sat down, "I can't believe you did all this!"

"Well, I wanted to do something special for you," Inuyasha said.

"Well you succeeded," Kagome said in a hushed tone. "But…" she looked at him puzzled and asked, "Why? I mean… what's the special occasion?"

Inuyasha began to blush, "I'll tell you later ok? Let's just eat now ok? I'm starving."

Kagome still looked puzzled, but she let it go as she began to look through the menu. She order just a salad and a glazed fish while Inuyasha ordered, what else?, but Ramen. "Again with the Ramen?" Kagome asked. "You could've just stayed home and eat it there."

He could only shrug as he began to chow down. All the time, the thought of 'Will she say no?' kept crossing his mind. He could never remember being this nervous… never… not even when he asked Kikyo to marry him. Half-way through their meal, Kagome started to notice the way that he was fidgeting around. When she asked him what was wrong, Inuyasha reached into his pocket and began to feel around for the small box. He was trying not to show how nervous he really was, "Kagome, there's something I want to ask you –"

She looked at him brightly and asked, "Yes?"

"I—I—I what I'm trying to say is…" Inuyasha croaked.

All of a sudden, Inuyasha's cell phone rang. He pulled it out and glared at it. It read "**Izayoi Takahashi, answer?**" He looked back up at Kagome both annoyed and a little relieved, "It's mom… I'll be right back…"

He walked over towards the entrance to be out of earshot and answered the phone, "MOM! This better be important!"

"Oh, it is," but it wasn't his mother's voice on the phone; it was a man's voice.

Inuyasha froze; this most definitely wasn't a voice he recognized. "Who is this?" Inuyasha tried to keep is voice calm.

"It's no concern of you to know who I am, all you need to know is that I have your kids…" said the voice, with a noticeable laugh at the end.

"WHAT!" Inuyasha screamed so loudly, that half the restaurant was staring at him. Kagome looked over at him from the table, now concerned. He saw her about to get up and he waved her down. Trying to tell her not to get up and he'll be over in a minute, before he went back to the problem. "Where are they? Why did you kidnap them?" Inuyasha tried desperately to keep the anger in his voice under control; he couldn't let this person get to him.

"Oh, I can assure you that they're just fine. They're here with me and my 'assistant', but I can't guarantee that they'll remain that way for long," the voice said with disgust tracing his voice, "If you want to see those brats ever again, come to the park at center of the city. Meet me near the woods in one hour. If' you're late or if you call the police… well… use your imagination."

**_Click._**

And just like that he hung up. Inuyasha stared at his phone, the flashing words, _'Call ended'_ displayed on the screen.

He quickly walked back to the table where Kagome sat with a look of both curiosity and concern etched across her face, "Is everything okay with Shippo and Shiori?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "I'm sorry, but we need to go."

Kagome blinked in surprise, but stood up and grabbed her purse, "What is going on?"

"I'll tell you in the car."

Inuyasha told the waitress that an emergency came up and he paid for their half-eaten meals before he grabbed Kagome's wrist and practically flew to the car. "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, now starting to get angry.

Inuyasha didn't answer as he stuck the keys in the ignition; he looked at Kagome who was staring at him with a scared look on her face. "What's going on?" she asked afraid.

Inuyasha wanted to tell her that nothing was wrong and the kids were safe… but he knew that there was no way he could say that. "Someone kidnapped Shippo and Shiori," he said angrily.

Kagome had gone very white and tears began to flood her eyes, "WHAT? Who would do such a thing?"

Inuyasha glared into the night as he started the car's engine, "I have a pretty good idea who did. Remember how you where worried about your ex doing something extreme?" Kagome slowly nodded before her eyes widen, "Oh no," she moaned. "This is all my fault isn't it? I knew I shouldn't have gotten you involved! I'm so sorry! I never should've…"

Inuyasha took her hand and cut her off, "None of this is your fault! This is all that Hobo's fault! And once we get to him, I swear that we'll make sure that he never hurts you or anyone else again."

"But what does he want!" Kagome demanded as she fought back tears and was failing miserably.

"I don't know… but when I find him he's toast."

"But what can you do? What if he's armed or something?"

"I can deal with it. I admit that I never expected Hojo to kidnap our kids! I mean… what's that going to accomplish? What was he thinking?" Inuyasha drove over the speed limit racing to the park. Along the way Kagome quickly called Sesshomaru and told him what was going on. Sesshomaru promised her that they'd be there as soon as possible but they had to catch Hojo in the act to ensure that he'll be sent to jail.

Inuyasha pulled up to the familiar park. When he got out, he suddenly realized that this was the place where he and Kagome first met. It was so warm and friendly at day… a day that he had burned into his memory… but in the light of the full moon it appeared like something out of a horror movie.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"Shiori!" Kagome screamed. "Where are you?"

"Kagome?" came a surprised voice.

Inuyasha immediately jumped into battle mode, and stood in front of Kagome in case it was the kidnapper… and out of the shadows—stepped Hojo looking worried. "Oh, Kagome, there you are! Someone called me and told me that Shippo was kidnapped and to come here immediately!"

Inuyasha blinked a few times in surprise before he marched up to him and yelled out, "Cut the crap Hojo, I know you were the one who kidnapped him and MY daughter!"

"Why would I kidnap Shippo when he's my own son?" Hojo barked back.

"He's not your son, Hojo! You gave up everything to do with Shippo and Kagome the day you left them! Now do them a favor and get out of their lives!" Inuyasha's was barely able to keep his anger in control at this point; it took everything he had to keep himself from killing him… but if he did that then they might never get their children back.

Hojo yelled back, "Who cares? He's still blood related to me and that's why he's my kid!"

"Both of you! _STOP_!" Kagome yelled. Both Hojo and Inuyasha turned around to look at her, before she went straight up to Hojo and slapped him across the face with all the strength she had. "What do you want?" she screamed at him. "We know that you're behind this and we want our children back!"

Hojo rubbed the place where she had smacked him looking as stunned as Inuyasha did at that moment before he said, "Kagome? Listen… I thought long and hard about what I did… and you were right. I'm so sorry!"

Kagome's jaw dropped at Hojo's serene words.

"I'm sorry I left," he told her. "Please, let me make things right. I want us to be a family again…"

At those few words, fury that Kagome never felt before began to erupt inside her. She raised her hand again and smacked him so hard that Hojo actually fell to the ground. "DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME! YOU MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT YOU NEVER WANTED TO HAVE A FAMILY WITH ME! YOU NEVER WANTED ME OR SHIPPO AND NOW YOU COME HERE PRETENDING TO ACT 'ALL SORRY?' THAT WON'T WORK HOJO! I STOPPED LOVING YOU A LONG TIME AGO. IN FACT, I DON'T THINK I EVER DID! ALL THAT I WANT IS FOR YOU TO LET MY CHILDREN GO AND TO GET OUT OF OUR LIVES!"

Hojo glared up at her—and Inuyasha was completely stunned by what she said… he knew that she had bad temper… but this?

Suddenly, a maniacal laugh was heard; it seemed to come not from one place but from everywhere around them. Out stepped another figure from the shadows; this time it was a man with a mask of a baboon.

"You want the little brats?" the man asked smoothly.

"Give Shippo and Shiori back, **_NOW_**!" Inuyasha quickly got over his astonishment of Kagome's reaction and his anger was back, his demon blood was starting to boil.

The man gave a twisted smile, "If you want your stupid kids, there's something I need from you first…"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes; he wasn't about to play games with this guy, "Just give me back the kids… and then I promise to rip out only one of your lungs."

"No," the man replied, with a chuckle, "I rather not. At least, not until you hand over a hefty sum."

"We're not bargaining here!" Inuyasha growled.

"Write me a check for $100,000 and I'll hand you the two snot-nosed brats."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha roared.

"You heard me," the man replied. "If you want those two back so badly then it shouldn't concern you."

"How do I know that you'll hand them over if I give you the money?" Inuyasha demanded.

"You don't. But then again… what other choice do you have?"

"Fine," Inuyasha spat. Not that he cared about the money, he just didn't want to give the guy the satisfaction. That—and the fact that there really wasn't any guarantee that Shippo and Shiori were going to be handed over safely. But then again… the bastard was right—what other choice did he have? So bitterly, he wrote the check with Hojo looking at it over his shoulder.

But while he did, no one realized that Kagome had disappeared.

(Hey there! Guess what? Only a few more chapters to go! I think I have it all figured out. So I can promise you that there are going to be at least 4 more chapters including an epilogue. I'm not planning on writing any more chapters than that, but you never know. But I can promise you that the end is almost here. Please review and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.)


	48. The Truth Comes Out

**Chapter 48: The Truth Comes Out**

(Hey, sorry for the wait. I've been busy with finals lately. And I want to say happy birthday to the-real-Inu-Girl and hope that you enjoy your present even if it's a little late.) 

"Write me a check for $100,000 and I'll hand you the two snot-nosed brats."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha roared.

"You heard me," the man replied. "If you want those two back so badly then it shouldn't concern you."

"How do I know that you'll hand them over if I give you the money?" Inuyasha demanded.

"You don't. But then again… what other choice do you have?"

"Fine," Inuyasha spat. Not that he cared about the money, he just didn't want to give the guy the satisfaction. That—and the fact that there was no guarantee that Shippo and Shiori were going to be handed safely over to them. But then again… the bastard was right—what other choice did he have? So bitterly, he wrote the check with Hojo looking at it over his shoulder as if making sure that he added the right number of zeros.

But before he handed the piece of paper over to bastard, he looked around to see that Kagome had disappeared. "Kagome?" he called. When she didn't answer him, he finally snapped. He turned to Hojo and growled as he took a step forward in a threatening way, "Where is she? I swear Hojo if you don't tell me what the hell is going on then you're going to be wishing that you were dead by the time I'm through with you!"

Hojo took several steps backwards, as Inuyasha advanced towards him. He then turned and yelled over his shoulder, "Naraku! Change of plans! I'll pay you twice as much if you can kill Inuyasha here and now!"

At those words, someone leapt out of the darkness, and practically flew over to Inuyasha with a gun in his hands. The gun was fired… and it hit its target.

_*Kagome*_

Kagome snuck away while Inuyasha and Hojo were arguing, praying that she could pull this off and get them all out of here safely. She hoped that Inuyasha would be able to keep the kidnappers busy until she found the kids. She quietly walked a bit further into the park, where she came upon a large, ancient-looking tree in the very center of the park. And tied at the base of the tree was…

"Shippo! Shiori!" Kagome mouthed as she ran forward to them. Both kids were tied to the tree with duct tape around their mouths, but their eyes immediately brightened when they saw Kagome running towards them.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness I found you two! Now, when I untie you, you have to be quiet, we don't want them to hear us."

Shiori and Shippo both nodded. Kagome untied them and removed the duct tape gently, "You both okay?"

Both kids leapt into Kagome's arms, "Mommy! I was so scared!"

"They just grabbed us!"

"We were talking with grandma and then we got so sleepy…"

"And when we woke up…"

"We were being tied to the tree!"

Kagome smiled gently at them, "Everything is going to be fine now. You're safe. Are you both alright? They didn't do anything else to you did they?"

Shiori shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I want daddy to be here to…" Shiori sniffed and leaned onto Kagome's shoulder.

But before anyone else could say anymore, they all heard the sound of a BANG! Like a gun that's been fired. Kagome stood there, horror-stuck. What had happened? Did Hojo have a gun on him as well? Did he shot Inuyasha? Oh, God what had she done?

"Mommy?" Shippo asked taking his mother's hand who was looking like she was about to collapse.

Kagome began to cry as she took the kids in her arms and was thinking fast on what to do. She wanted to go and see if Inuyasha was alright but she couldn't leave the kids here alone.

But then…

"He'll be fine," said a cold and very familiar voice. The three of them turned to see Sesshomaru walked through the trees and into sight.

Kagome let out a breath of relief to see Sesshomaru as Shiori got up and ran to Sesshomaru, hugging him tightly, "Uncle Fluffy! We were so scared. We don't know what happened. And what about grandma? Is she ok? We didn't see her when we woke up."

"Yeah," Kagome asked standing up, holding Shippo in her arms, "Is Izayoi alright? Did you come here alone? What about Inuyasha? Is he alright? What happened? I thought that we heard a gunshot just a second ago. Did you catch them? Is Inuyasha…"

Sesshomaru raised a hand to silence her, "No, the police are already here. They were right behind me, headed for where Inuyasha is. And as for Izayoi, she's fine. They were only after the kids after all. They saw no need to take her as well. She's worried sick about you all however. She wanted to come here and give the kidnappers a piece of her mind."

Kagome shook her head. "I'd almost feel bad for them if Izayoi had to choose their punishment."

A policeman suddenly walked towards them, "Are both kids okay?" Both Shiori and Shippo nodded. "Follow me then, we've got the perpetrator in the squad car."

"And Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded starting to get scared again.

"He's fine," Sesshomaru assured her. "He was shot in the shoulder but it's nothing life-threatening. He'll live."

The four followed the cop back to where Inuyasha and Hojo were. They saw five police cars and one of the cars had a man already sitting there in handcuffs. Inuyasha was standing there talking to them with blood dripping from a wound in his right shoulder.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as she ran over to him. Inuyasha turned to see Kagome and the kids, and the next second she had flung herself into his arms. "Are you alright? What happened?" Kagome demanded. "I'm so sorry for getting you involved in this. I swear that I never…"

"I'm fine," Inuyasha told her. "I got careless that's all. Keh, like I'd let a pathetic worm like Hobo kill me."

"You idiot," Kagome croaked out as she began to cry. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!"

While she cried, Inuyasha scooped up Shiori and held his little girl close, "Don't worry. It's all over. Hojo's going to jail for a long time. Shiori? Shippo? Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

Shiori also started to cry as Inuyasha held her, "No. But I was so scared, dad! I thought I'd never see you or mom again!"

Inuyasha pulled back so he could see everyone's face, "We're here now and know that I will always be there to protect you."

"You!" Shiori yelled out as Hojo was dragged passed, "You were in on this too!"

Hojo held up his hands in self-defense, "I most certainly was not!"

"Yes, you were! I remember seeing you tying me to the tree!"

One of the police officers walked up to Shiori, "Are you sure you saw him?"

Shiori nodded, "Yes! He's a bad man!"

The police officer looked at Shippo, "Did you see him too?" Shippo nodded and then hugged his mother tightly again.

"Not only that!" Inuyasha called to them, "But he did just try to have me killed!"

The police officer suddenly pulled Hojo's hands behind his back, "We are placing you under arrest under conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

The police officer continued speaking as he dragged Hojo off to another squad car. He screamed as he hit his head on the squad car door, "This isn't over Inuyasha!"

Kagome sighed in relief as he neared the car. "Yes, it is over. Thank goodness," she said as she welcomed another hug with Shippo still in her arms.

"Over? Please, this is far from over Kagome!" Hojo called as he was being dragged. "And to think that I went to all this trouble because of someone else's brat!"

"What are you talking about?" Kagome demanded angrily.

Hojo gave her a nasty look. "Since I'm going to jail… I see no harm in telling you the truth."

"What truth?" Kagome screamed at him.

"The truth is that both twins survived when they were born. I only told you that the second one died when it was born because there was no way that I wanted to deal with two brats."

Kagome felt as if her insides had been turned to ice. Her whole world seemed to shatter around her as she grew light-headed; she thought for sure that she was going to faint. She was so stunned that she almost dropped Shippo, who was looking from Hojo to his mother not understanding what was going on. "Mommy?" he asked quietly, "What's he talking about?"

But Kagome couldn't answer him. She slowly let Shippo slip from her arms as she then fell onto her knees, eyes wide, and her heart breaking into a million pieces. Shippo's sister… her daughter… she was alive—all this time…

Inuyasha, who had a much better grasp on the situation, turned on Hojo. He put Shiori down before he went marching over to the cop car and grabbed Hojo by the throat and yelled, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

The policemen surrounded him, but Sesshomaru waved them down. Inuyasha turned back to Hojo and snarled, "You better tell me right now what you did to Kagome."

Hojo merely gave him a cruel grin. "The doctor that helped deliver the twins 6 years ago," he gasped, "Was an old friend of mine. I paid him to take one of the brats away and replace it with a dead one. Another woman had given birth that day, but her baby died a stillborn. Once Shippo was born, Kagome's no-good-father came in and kept a eye on him while Kagome was taken to surgery. She blacked out as soon as the girl was born. A healthy baby girl too! I paid the doctor to switch it with the dead baby and make everyone else think that it was hers."

Inuyasha was too stunned to speak. How could anyone be this sick? Telling a mother that one of her kids was dead while it was really taken away to who knows where?

"Where is she? Where is the girl?" he demanded, actually lifting Hojo off the ground a couple inches.

Hojo began to gag from lack of air and the police came over.

"Enough!"

"If anything happens to him then I'm afraid that we'll have to arrest you to, sir!"

"Just take your wife and go…"

"Wife?" spat out Hojo. "Please, who would ever marry that cheating bitch?"

That did it. Inuyasha didn't care if he went to jail—no one insulted Kagome in front of him. He raised his clawed fist, wanting nothing more than to rip Hobo apart… but then…

"STOP!"

Kagome had finally come to; she told Sesshomaru to take the children and go before she turned back to Inuyasha and cried, "Inuyasha! You can't go to jail for me! Please! I couldn't bear it if you got sent there because of me."

Inuyasha took several deep breaths before he finally lowered Hojo. "Fine. But only because I don't want to see you cry anymore Kagome." He turned to Hojo again. "Tell me right now," he snarled. "Where is the girl?"

Hojo spluttered. "How should I know? That was all years ago. The girl could be anywhere by now. Why would I care?"

"That GIRL happened to have been YOUR daughter!" roared Inuyasha. "How could you give her up like that and act like it was nothing?"

"Oh please," Hojo said. "She wasn't mine. I don't know whose she was, but I know for a fact that the twins weren't mine."

Inuyasha stared at him as Kagome lost her voice, to astonish to speak.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha demanded.

Hojo glared at Kagome. "In case you haven't' figured this out yet… I'm not the biological father of Shippo or the girl. That day at the hospital the doctor ran some blood test on Shippo… you know to make sure that the kid was healthy. Something didn't seem right so he decided to compare my blood to the kid and found out that it didn't match. So… now you know… I'm not the father. I only said I was so that I could get the money. And Kagome was never faithful. She's just a dirty ho…"

But the rest of his words were drowned out as Inuyasha finally lost control of himself and punched Hojo so hard that most of his teeth went flying. The police took over then and Hojo was lead away; since Hojo was asking for it, they decided to let Inuyasha off with a warning.

Once he was sure that everyone had left, he turned to Kagome who was sitting on the ground again, tears falling down her face. Inuyasha took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, trying and failing to think of words to comfort her.

"She's alive…" Kagome whispered as Inuyasha helped her back to her feet. "All this time… and I never knew…"

"I know," growled Inuyasha. "And I promise that I'll do everything I can to help you find her. I can't believe that ass Hobo…"

"But is what he also said true?" Kagome cut in through numb lips. She looked up at him in clear desperation. "Hojo really ISN'T the father of my children? I don't see how that's possible… I mean… I never… I would never cheat like that! I mean…" she couldn't stop the tears that were quickly becoming a flood. "What's going on here?"

Inuyasha looked at her seriously for a moment before he pulled her into his arms and whispered, "I don't know what's going on—but I swear to you that I WILL find out."

(Wow. Getting intense right? Finally the truth has come out. But if Hojo isn't the father—then WHO is? And what about the long-lost twin? Who is she? Everything is going to be revealed in the next chapter. Only 3 more chapters plus the epilogue left to go. Sorry for the wait, I hope that it was worth it to you guys. And for those who were expecting a big fight scene between Inuyasha and Hojo… I'm sorry. But who cares about Hojo? We all want to get to the good stuff. The next chapter will go up as soon as possible. Please review and thank you.)


	49. The Warmth of Holding your Hand…

**Chapter 49: The Warmth of Holding your Hand…**

Kagome was sitting in her office at the school trying so hard not to cry. She kept her head down on her desk fighting the tears… all this time…

All this time her daughter had been alive.

And she never knew.

If she had reason to hate Hobo before… she now despised him entirely. She loathed him so dearly that she was almost tempted that she should kill him herself. Jail wasn't good enough for him. He deserved far, far worse.

But for once he was pushed out of her mind. She was waiting for her father to call.

Once Hojo had come out and told her the truth, she had called her father later that night. She was crying so badly that he could hardly hear her over the phone. She told him everything that Hobo had told her and how he might not actually be Shippo's father.

She had expected him to be angry… maybe even disappointed in her for what happened. But all he said was how relieved to hear that Shippo might not be related to a slime-ball like Hojo. He flew out as soon as he hung up the phone.

It was times like this that made Kagome glad that she had a doctor for a father.

He had come out to help prove once and for all if Hojo was the father. They both had gone out to the jail so that they could get a blood sample for DNA testing. When they had gone to visit him, Hojo told them that when he left the hotel room, he left it open by just a crack so that he could get right back in and while he was gone, someone else must've come in.

Nine months later, he gave up Kagome's daughter… something that Kagome knew to be unforgivable.

"No one asked you to help take care of them!" Kagome screamed at him through the bars. "You could've just left us alone!"

Hojo only smirked at her and pretended not to listen. Kagome was wishing for nothing more than the opportunity to smack him.

But her father had gotten the blood sample that they needed and they immediately left after that. Kagome in tears all the way.

So now she was sitting in her office long after everyone else had gone home. Kagome had asked Sango to look after Shippo and Shiori while she waited for the results of the tests. Hoping for the best but expecting the worse.

**_Ring Ri-_**

The phone had rung and she picked it up before it had a chance to finish its second ring.

"Daddy?" she whispered.

"Kagome?" her father's voice said on the other end. "I have the tests complete."

"Well?" Kagome demanded.

"Now you sure that you want me to tell you the truth?" as if making sure she knew what she was asking him.

"Dad, please," Kagome said sounding close to tears again. "I need to know. If Hojo really isn't the father then I can be sure that he'll never be able to come near me or Shippo again. Please just tell me."

She heard her father sigh. "It doesn't match. Hojo's right. I don't know who the father really is, but I do know that it isn't Hojo."

"What?" Kagome whispered hardly daring to believe her ears. She sat up straight in her chair and asked, "It's not—not a match?"

"No darling. This is proof. I ran through it almost 4 times to make sure. Hojo is NOT the biological father."

Kagome began to cry. Both out of joy at hearing that she hadn't slept with Hojo that night… and out of shame at not knowing who she did.

"Dad, I'm so sorry," Kagome sobbed into the phone.

"SORRY?" her dad yelled. "Sorry for what? Honey, none of this is your fault! It's that rotten son-of-a-bitch Hobo! I just wish I knew who truly is my grandson's father and where my granddaughter is! But don't you dare go thinking that this is your fault you hear me? We'll get through this somehow."

Kagome nodded, though she knew that he couldn't see her. "OK dad. Thank you. I'll talk to you later. Right now I just want to be left alone."

"Ok, sweetheart," dad said softly. "I understand. We'll get through this so don't you give up hope just yet."

He hung up after that. Kagome put her head down on the desk again, trying to figure out what was going on. If it wasn't Hojo… then who was it? Who was it that came into her room that night? She couldn't remember much thanks to the alcohol.

She forced herself to try and remember. She was curled up on the bed, trying to ignore the stabbing pain that was beginning to build in her head.

And then, she heard someone come in. She remembered being too drunk to care who it was. But that someone got into the bed with her… and the rest was history. She woke up with a mine grain headache and completely alone.

At that moment, a knock on her office door brought her back to the present.

"Who is it?"

"It's me…" Inuyasha's voice called. "Can I come in?"

"Don't see why not," she called back.

Inuyasha pushed the door open and he came in looking grim. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"You don't need to worry. Sesshomaru set things up so that Hojo will be locked up for a long, long time. He'll never bother you again."

She gave him a grateful smile before she got up to give him a hug. He held her tightly before he asked, "Well? Did your dad call?" When she nodded he asked, "What did he say?"

"Hojo isn't the father," she whispered. "So that's one good thing. But I don't know what happened that night. If it isn't Hojo—then who was it?" Kagome asked quietly. "I mean… I barely remember anything that happened… after all… Hojo got me drunk." She said those last words bitterly.

"Try," Inuyasha whispered holding her cold hands in his own warm ones. "Close your eyes and think hard about what happened."

Kagome did was she was told and thought as hard as she could like she had done many times before.

"I was walking out of the bar with Hojo," she whispered. "I was demanding that Hojo take me back home… but…"

"But?" Inuyasha urged her.

"He said that it was too far and that we should stop at this hotel—it was called 'Rainbase'—and I remember him dragging me out of the car and up to the front desk."

"Rainbase," Inuyasha repeated. "I've been there once."

Kagome opened her eyes in surprise, "You've been there?"

"Yeah… when Kikyo was still alive. We were coming back from a party one day in February about 6 years ago… and well… Shiori happened." He went red at those words.

Kagome on the other hand had gone very pale.

"What?" he asked her nervously.

"What month did you say?" she asked quietly.

"February," Inuyasha repeated blankly.

"What day?" she then demanded her eyes wild, shaking from head to foot. _'There is no way,' _she thought._ 'No, of all the people could it possibly be…?'_

Inuyasha, scared at how she was acting, thought long and hard, trying to remember. "I think that it was the 14th… Wait that's it! It was Valentine's Day and we had just come back from a party… why?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she fell back onto her chair and croaked out, "That was when me and Hojo went there. It was on Valentine's Day 6 years ago and he wanted to take me out. I just had no idea that it was to a BAR!"

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me that we both were at the same hotel on the same night 6 years ago?"

She nodded numbly, "I remember… because it was a couple weeks later I found out that I was going to be a mother."

She closed her eyes again, trying to force herself to remember more details. Is it possible that Inuyasha was…?

"We went up to the front desk and Hojo asked for a room. I was so drunk that I didn't care what he was doing. All I wanted was to lie down. As we were heading up to the room… we…"

"You what?"

"I remember bumping into someone…" Kagome said, "And we went straight up to our room… can't remember what floor though."

"Who did you bump into?" Inuyasha asked. But at that moment he froze. "Me…"

"What?" Kagome asked him as he held up his hands and was staring at them as if he had never seen them before. "Inuyasha what is it?"

"We were coming back from the party," Inuyasha said. "We'd gone to Rainbase… just to spend the night. We were heading up to the room but I dropped the key—we turned around to get it and I remember running into someone in the hallway."

The both stared at each other in amazement. "You mean to tell me that we just walked into each other? Just like that?"

"I can't remember it was too long ago!" Inuyasha cried out. "I don't remember clearly because I was little drunk too! We just went up to our room and crashed on the bed for a while. But I went to go to the bathroom… I was buzzed from all the wine I had at the party… I left our door open just a crack so that I could get back in without using the key. After I was finished, I was somehow able to find my room again and that was when me and Kikyo…" he trailed off.

He sat down, rubbing his temples. A headache beginning to form. "It was early morning when I had to go to the bathroom again. I got up, got dressed and left. By the time I got back to the room, Kikyo was waking up."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to look at her face. "Be honest with me? Was Kikyo acting differently that night?"

He stared at her, not understanding where she was going with this. "I don't know. I mean…" he thought back to that night. He had told Kikyo that he would be back in a minute. He staggered against the wall, but was able to leave the door open by just a hair before he went to the bathroom to vomit. He waited outside a small bathroom in the hallway until the first occupant was finished with it and then went in to do his business. Once he had finished, he headed back to the room.

He stumbled, beginning to see double. But he found the room which was left open and walked in. He didn't remember much after that. But once he walked in, he remembered seeing Kikyo already asleep in the bed. Her head was turned away, but he could make out her raven colored hair in the dark.

He went over to the bed and stroked her cheek lovingly. She turned and looked at him. He couldn't see her face but he was sure that she was smiling at him. Almost as if on instinct, she leaned in towards his touch. He grinned as he put a finger to her lips before she could say anything. He then leaned forward and kissed her gently… he could still remember the warmth of her mouth against his…

Wait a minute… every time he kissed Kikyo before that night, she was never that warm to the touch. If he didn't know better he could've sworn that…

His eyes widened. He began to sweat up a storm.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered panicky. "What is it?"

"Kikyo **was** different that night," he said so quietly. He took her hands and asked, "I remember you telling me that Hojo also left and came back into the room. Tell me… do you remember if he left the door opened?"

"I don't know!" Kagome cried out, gripping her hair. "I can't remember either. When I woke up the next morning I was alone in the bed. Hojo came back a few minutes later, said that he needed to go out for a minute. After I smacked him and yelled that I never wanted to see him again, I got dressed and left. I found out that I was having a baby a couple weeks later. I don't remember anything else!"

She started to cry. "My babies were born November 15th nine months later at Saint Hakushin Hospital."

"WHAT?" Inuyasha roared suddenly, causing Kagome to jump back from him.

"That was the day that Kikyo went into labor!" Inuyasha yelled. "I got the call from work that she was at Saint Hakushin Hospital and about to give birth. I went there to see her but they took our baby away from us."

"Why would they do that?" Kagome asked confused.

"They said that Shiori was really sick and they had to take her to INCU. The doctor came back a little while later with Shiori and said that the scare was over and we could take her home," he answered.

"But what are the odds? That Shippo and Shiori were born at the exact same place…" she stopped dead suddenly turning cold. "At the same time."

"Inuyasha!" she screamed. "What if… I know that it might sound crazy but what if…"

"What if what?" Inuyasha demanded.

"It's just that in all these years, I never once saw Hojo in Shippo's face. I could see mine… but never his!"

"And that's a bad thing?" Inuyasha demanded. "It's because he was never Shippo's father."

"You didn't let me finish! Sometimes when I look at Shippo's face… I… I see yours."

Inuyasha was staring at her for a moment before he whispered, "And for a long time, I could see yours in Shiori's face. You both have the same smile…"

They stared at each other's faces for a long time. The more they looked, the more the could see their children's faces. Where they just trying to kid themselves? Or was it possible that…

Before either could say anything else, Kagome went to her phone and dialed her father's number. "Kagome," Inuyasha croaked out as she pushed the buttons. "You aren't seriously thinking that…"

"I don't know what to think!" Kagome yelled. "But if it's what I think it is true… we're going to find out. Hello Dad?"

"Kagome what is it?" her father's voice asked sounding tired.

"Dad, I need you to run a DNA test with Shippo and Shiori."

There was silence for a split second before her father asked, "On Shiori?"

"Please dad!" Kagome begged. "I know that it's crazy but I think that maybe… just maybe… Shiori is my baby!"

For once, her dad couldn't say anything.

"Bring her down to the hospital now!" was all he could say. "I'll have everything ready."

_*A few hours later*_

Kagome and Inuyasha were both sitting in the waiting room. Waiting for the news that they desperately needed. Was it true? Was Shiori really Kagome's daughter? And if so… who was the father? The same thoughts were plaguing their minds as they picked up Shiori and Shippo from Sango and her family all the way to the hospital.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered after a while of waiting.

Kagome didn't answer him. She just took his hand and gripped it tightly.

"Kagome," Inuyasha repeated. "Do you really think it's possible that you and I…?"

"I don't know," Kagome spoke in a low voice. "I mean… what are the odds? You and I both were at the same hotel on the same day. You left your room and came back just as Hojo did… and neither of us can remember anything clearly after that…" she trailed off.

"Both you and Kikyo gave birth around the same day," Inuyasha said. "Our child was taken from us and we didn't get her back until later. You gave birth to Shippo but fainted after your daughter was born… and Hojo told you that he gave her up to a couple whose child died. Shippo and Shiori have the same birthday…"

He soon trailed off as well. Not knowing what to believe. They waited for a few more minutes until Kagome's father finally entered the room.

"Dad?" Kagome said standing up, staring at him with the same fear that one would have when they were about to walk into the lion's den.

He was staring at her, very white, before he spoke. "I compared their blood tests… and…"

"And what?" Inuyasha roared.

"I tested… and I tested it twice just to make sure…"

"AND?" Kagome practically screamed.

"It's a… it's a match. She's my granddaughter after all."

Kagome stood there in shock for a second. Feeling as if she was about to faint, she fell to her knees and burst into tears. "All this time… and I never knew! Damn it! Why didn't I notice it before! I should've seen right from the start! I should've…"

"Kagome," both men said on either side of her trying to get her to stand up.

"I should've seen it…" she moaned. "All this time and I couldn't see what was right in front of me."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said fiercely as he pulled her to her feet. "How could you have known? You couldn't have! Stop blaming yourself! If there's anyone here to blame it's that Hobo!"

But Kagome continued to cry. Inuyasha pulled her into a hug and asked Hayato, "Do you know who the father is?"

Hayato still seemed as if he couldn't believe that Shiori was his real granddaughter. "Well… from what you both told me, I think that I can figure out what happened. It's a little vague but—Inuyasha—do you think that it's possible that when you came back from the bathroom—you accidently went into Kagome's room?"

Kagome raised her head to look at her father before turning to Inuyasha, who seemed too stunned for words. "You said so yourself that Kikyo and Kagome looked similar did you not?"

"Only a little bit," Inuyasha mumbled not looking at either of them.

"So do you think that it's possible that you got them confused? And that maybe… maybe you and Hojo both got the wrong girls and none of you ever knew?"

Inuyasha couldn't say anything. Instead he held out his arm to Hayato who looked confused to what he wanted. When Inuyasha finally found his voice he said, "Test my blood," he demanded. "There's no doubt that the twins are Kagome's… but I need to know if they are mine as well. We need to know."

_'The twins,'_ Kagome thought. He said the twins. Her twins… maybe even **his** twins. She looked him in the eye. Kagome knew that if there was one person out there that she wanted to have children with, it would be him. To find out that Inuyasha was the father of her babies… it was almost too much to hope for. She looked at her father and asked, "Dad?"

Her father nodded, before he took them both to the back. Shippo and Shiori were both playing with a few of the toys and games in there, not having the slightest clue what was going on. As soon as they came in, they both smiled and ran up to them asking why they were here.

Kagome, still crying, suddenly grabbed Shiori in a tight hug and began to sob openly.

"Mommy?" Shiori asked confused at Kagome's behavior. "What's wrong? Why are you so sad?"

"I'm not sad Shiori," Kagome sobbed stroking her daughter's hair. "I'm happy. I'm so happy now that I can't help but cry."

"What for?" Shippo asked baffled.

"I'm your mommy," Kagome whispered. "You're my baby."

"Of course you're my mommy," Shiori said, still not understanding.

"No," Hayato said. "She IS your mother Shiori. And Shippo is your brother."

"We know that," Shippo said impatiently. "I've been her brother for months now."

"No, no, no," Hayato said bending down to look Shippo in the eye. "Remember when Kagome told you that you had a twin sister who died when she was born?"

Shippo nodded sadly. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Hojo lied to her," Inuyasha grumbled. "Your sister survived."

Shippo's jaw dropped. "What? You mean… I still have a twin sister?"

"Yes," Hayato answered. "Hojo took your sister and switch her with another baby after she was born. He told Kagome that her real daughter, your sister, died while she actually lived. That baby is Shiori."

Shiori's eyes widened. "You mean…"

"Kagome is your real mother Shiori," Hayato said smiling, tears in his own eyes. "She gave birth to you and Shippo but you were taken away from them. From us. They really are your mother and brother. And I'm your grandfather…" he said those last 4 words as if he couldn't help himself.

Too shocked to say anything Shippo fell back onto the floor. Kagome pulled back to look at Shiori… her daughter… those words sounded so right to her… her daughter. "I'm your real mother, Shiori. And you're my real baby girl. I'm only sorry that I never noticed it before."

Shiori stared at her for a long moment before she too began to cry. She hugged her back tightly and said, "Mommy… you're my mommy…"

"But then…" Shippo said, still on the floor, looking up at Inuyasha. "What about dad?"

"We're going to find out soon," Hayato replied. "Wait here. And I'm sure that this is going to give us all the answers we need. He led Inuyasha into the back, while the little family waited for the answer.

Kagome held out an arm so that Shippo could join in on the hug. They stayed like that for long time, Kagome's tears damping her children's hair. All she could do now was wait and hope that her dearest wish was true.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Inuyasha came back out closely followed by Hayato. Wiping her eyes, Kagome stood up, a child holding each hand. "Inuyasha?" she whispered.

"Inuyasha's a daddy," her father said smiling. "They matched. I'm not sure what happened that night but I have to say that I rather have him for my grandchildren's father than that sorry excuse for a human Hobo."

But Kagome wasn't listening. She lost track of what her father said after the words 'they matched'. She ran forward and flung her arms around the neck of man she loved. Inuyasha in turn, held her tightly against his strong chest as Shippo cried out, "You mean that Hojo lied about being my daddy!" he cried as if Christmas had come early.

"Yes," Hayato said as he bent down to hug them. "He lied. You and Shiori are twins. And Kagome and Inuyasha are your real parents. And nothing can ever change that."

Kagome wasn't sure what had truly happened that night either, and all of a sudden, she didn't care anymore. All she knew was that their children… hers and Inuyasha's… were together again. They all were.

There so many things that she could've said to him. But instead she whispered for his ears, and his ears alone, "I'm glad that it was you."

He held her even tighter and said so quietly that she almost missed it, "Me too."

They pulled away to see each other's face for a brief second before they leaned in for a kiss. Not caring who was watching.

(I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know that it might seem a little vague but that was the point. Only 2 more chapters and the epilogue to go! Next chapter we finally get to Step 5! Will there really be a wedding? Please read and review—and thank you for your patience.)


	50. Step 5: SHE SAID YES!

**Chapter 50: Step 5: SHE SAID YES!**

_2 months later_

"Ok," Shiori said to Shippo as they perched themselves on the stairs railing, looking down at their parents sitting all lovey-dovey on the couch. "You ready?"

"I was born ready," Shippo grinned. "Finally, we move onto Step 5. All we have to do is get them to the park… and hope that dad finally asks mom."

"He will," Shiori said confidently. "After all… we are twins. And you know what they say about twins…"

"Double trouble…" Shippo finished smiling. "Yeah, they're going to need each other if they want to stand a chance against us."

They still couldn't believe that after all this time—the discovery that they were actually twins—it was almost like they were in a dream. A good one that the never wanted to wake up from.

They both quietly crept downstairs, shared one last look, one last nod, and went running into the room. "Mommy! Daddy!" they both cried happily as they surprised their parents and jumped onto the couch to join them.

"Kids!" Kagome cried happily, grabbing them both in a hug. "What are you two up to now?"

"Can we go to the park mommy?" Shiori begged.

Kagome always smiled when she hears Shiori call her mommy… but these days it was beaming glow. She looked at Inuyasha before looking back at them and said, "I don't know kids, the weather report says that it might rain today."

They both turned to Inuyasha and asked, "Dad? Please can we go to the park?"

Inuyasha groaned as he rubbed a tired hand over his eyes. "Not today," he said stretching. "I'm tired right now."

"But daddy," Shippo said with an evil grin. They had a feeling that Inuyasha wouldn't want to go but that's ok, because they came up with a back up. Shiori would distract Kagome and Shippo would mutter into Inuyasha's ear. "Didn't you want to give mommy that ring?"

Inuyasha's eyes flew open, "What?" he demanded.

"What what?" Kagome asked confused, glancing at him puzzled.

"N-nothing," he said to her reassuringly. But he glared at Shippo. "Just let me have a talk with my son for a moment."

He took Shippo by the hand and led into the hall where he demanded, "What ring?"

"But daddy," Shippo said with a slight pout. "Shiori says that she saw that pretty big ring for mommy. Aren't you going to give it to her? Well… how about you take us to the park, and give it to her there."

Inuyasha sifted uncomfortably. Truthfully, a part of him wanted to go along with that plan… but… would he be ready to ask Kagome?

"You want to marry mommy don't you?" Shippo asked. "I know that mommy wants you to ask her."

"How do you know about that?" Inuyasha asked a little too quickly, maybe a little to eagerly.

Shippo shrugged. "I know mommy. You do want to ask her right? Well… what are you waiting for? Take us to the park and you can ask her."

"I'm waiting for the right moment," Inuyasha said forcefully.

"When?" Shippo asked. "Please… you have to try!" Shippo was hit with sudden inspiration and said, "Or, I can ask her for you right now if you want?"

"Don't you dare!" Inuyasha snarled. "I don't care if you are my son, if you tell her then I'm gonna…"

"Ok, I'll have Shiori tell her!"

"You will do no such thing…"

"But I told grandma that you were going to tell her today!" Shippo said, pretending to look sad.

Inuyasha felt himself go white. "Y-you told mom?" he stammered, horror filling him. If Izayoi knew… she was never going to let him forget it. If she found out that he chickened out… he shuttered at the very idea what she would do to him.

Shippo nodded, continuing to pretend that he was ashamed of himself. "I was just so sure that you were going to ask mommy today!" he moaned. "I thought that you loved mom."

"I do," Inuyasha said, "But that doesn't mean that you should go around and tell everyone that I'm going to ask her to marry me today!"

Inuyasha was thinking fast, wondering what to do. If he didn't ask Kagome today, he would be able to postpone the question, which meant that he would have more time to prepare.

But what if he did—what if Kagome said no? What if he waited so long that she didn't want to marry him?

But what if she said yes?

He would just be waiting longer than he would have to—they could get married right away.

And if he didn't, Izayoi was going to make life a veritable living hell.

There was only one thing that he could do.

"Fine. We'll go to the park… but I'm waiting until the right time to ask her!"

"Ask me what?" said Kagome's voice.

Inuyasha felt his insides freeze all over again. He turned to look over his shoulder to see Kagome standing there, holding onto Shiori's hand. She looked at him brightly and asked again, "What did you want to ask me?"

"I-I-ah-well…" Inuyasha stammered.

"He wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the park?" Shippo said running over to take his mother's other hand.

"Really?" Kagome asked in surprise, before she looked up at Inuyasha and said, "I thought that you said that you were tired."

"I changed my mind," he said a little harshly.

Kagome blinked several times before she smiled and said, "Alright, we'll all go."

As the kids began to cheer, Inuyasha shot Shippo a dark look that clearly said, 'You are dead.'

Shippo merely went to his mother and stuck close by her side. He knew that the only reason that he wasn't dead yet, was because he knew that his dad wouldn't kill him as long as mom was around. "Shippo, Shiori!" Kagome called. "Get your coats!"

_*15 minutes later*_

"You sure about this?" Shiori asked Shippo as they finally caught sight of the park. They were both whispering to each other just a few steps in front of their parents, who were both to busy paying their attention to each other to notice what their kids were talking about.

"You think the time is right?"

"Absolutely," Shippo said confidently. "I told him that I told grandma that he was going to ask her today."

"And did you?" Shiori asked though she knew the answer.

"Er… no…" Shippo admitted. "But that's not the point. The point is that if dad can just work up the guts to ask her… then Operation New Parents is gonna be a complete success!"

"But they aren't 'new' parents anymore though are they?" Shiori asked. "I mean… they were our parents all along weren't they?"

Shippo thought about that for a moment before he shook his head and said, "Doesn't matter. Look, we did everything we can for them. Now it's up to dad."

"And to mom," Shiori said added sweetly.

"Oh, I know that she'll say yes," Shippo said happily. "But in order for her to say 'yes' then dad has to grit his teeth and do it," Shippo told her.

"I don't get it," Shiori said sadly, "Why can't people just come right out and say what they want to say? I mean, why don't they just admit that they're in love and say 'I love you'? They say it to us all the time?"

Shippo shook his head. "Grown-ups…"

Behind them, Inuyasha and Kagome were holding hands… Kagome was looking at him worriedly. "Really, Inuyasha…" Kagome said. "What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Inuyasha said. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"You aren't yourself though," Kagome asked. "What are you thinking about?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to explain, but at that moment, "MOM! DAD!"

The twins…

"The park! Let's go!" and without another word, they both went running towards the park gates.

Kagome laughed slightly at their enthusiasm. "Kids…"

They both slowly walked through the gates and saw that their kids were already on the monkey-bars, making ape noises. "Now that I think about it," Kagome said nostalgic. "This was where we first met right? I mean…" she blushed. "Other than that night."

Inuyasha felt himself going red at that thought. "Ah…" he began lamely. "Yeah, I guess."

They walked around the park for a few minutes, just listening to the birds chirping—the twins laughing, and avoiding speaking to the other at all costs. Finally, Kagome couldn't take it anymore and asked, "Shippo said that you wanted to ask me something?"

Inuyasha began to fidget. "Ah—well—yes," he said. "I just don't know how to get the words out."

"Do you want me to guess?" Kagome asked cheerfully. "Want me to try and guess what you want to ask me?"

"If you want," Inuyasha said maybe a little too quickly. This would give him a little more time to think of the right way to ask.

"Ok…" Kagome said thinking hard. "Did you want to ask me out again?"

"Yes… and no…" Inuyasha said.

"Well, which is it?"

Inuyasha only went redder. "I d-d-don't k-know," he stammered.

"That's clear as mud," Kagome grumbled. "Ok… you did or didn't want to ask me out…"

She thought for another moment and asked, "Did you want to ask if you could borrow something?"

"No," Inuyasha said. His hand in his pocket, messing with the little velvet box.

"Well, at least that's a straight answer this time," Kagome said a little happier.

They didn't notice that the kids were watching them very intently from the slides now. Their eyes never leaving them.

"How about you asking if you could go to that jail and beat up Hojo?" she asked almost hopefully, "Please say that's it. I really wouldn't mind. In fact, I would probably go with you!"

He laughed at that… and that laugh was giving him courage. "Sorry, no," he said. They finally stopped walking once they reached underneath a great tree. (Sacred tree) They looked at each other long and hard into their faces, as if trying to memorize what they already knew by heart.

"Well, I give up then," Kagome answered. "What is it?"

For some reason, being beneath the tree was somehow clearing his head—making him feel braver. He better do it now… now before his courage left him.

He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and…

"MOM!" Shiori yelled.

Can't he get a break here?

Inuyasha turned to see Shiori run into Kagome's arms and buried her face in her mother's skirt. "Shiori?" Kagome said confused. "What's wrong?"

Shippo popped out of nowhere and said, "We're sorry. But we can't take the suspense anymore."

Now Kagome was really lost. "What suspense?" she asked.

But Shippo wasn't looking at her; instead all of his attention was on Inuyasha's right pocket. "Did you ask her yet, dad?"

"I was just about to…" Inuyasha replied through gritted teeth. "But you kinda interrupted me…"

"Ask me what?" Kagome gave Inuyasha a quizzical look. "What's going on? What are you both talking about?"

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said who was starting to sweat like a hog. He pushed the kids aside, took her hand in both of his and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'm… I'm not very good with words," he said slowly.

"I've…" he took another deep breath and went on, "I've been wanting to do this for a long time now."

"What?" Kagome asked, not surprised to hear that she was whispering. Both kids were looking back in forth—like watching a tennis match. Hoping that their dad was actually going to do it—their fingers were crossed…

_'Come on dad,'_ Shippo thought. _'You can do it!'_

_'Just ask her!'_ Shiori thought, _'I know she'll say yes!'_

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said slowly and quietly. "You're the best this world has to offer… the best and then some… will you… will you…" he felt like his throat was closing up. He was having a hard time trying to get the words out.

Before he lost his nerve, he got down on the ground and got on one knee, "Kagome Higurashi, will you marry me?" He pulled out the small box from his pocket, revealing the diamond ring.

Kagome's mouth nearly dropped to the ground. She was so stunned she couldn't speak… instead all she could do was nod as tears of happiness started to blur her vision.

Inuyasha took her hand, and slid the ring onto her middle finger—it fit perfectly. It was as if that ring was meant to be there… and it would.

Inuyasha then jumped up and shouted at the very top of his lungs, "SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!"

Kagome laughed as she threw her arms around his neck. "What else would I have said?" she cried out, trying to sound insulted but failed miserably due to the fact that she was smiling so big.

The kids were just as happy. Shiori was crying with happiness like her mother, while Shippo was jumping up and down excitedly, singing, "MOM AND DAD ARE GETTING MARRIED!"

Kagome laughed as Inuyasha ruffled Shippo's hair, "Yes, we are getting married, Shippo. And I am happy it's me!"

She pulled Inuyasha into a kiss as the kids could barely contain their joy.

"It worked!" Shippo cried. "Step 5 worked!"

"Step 5?" Inuyasha asked. "Step 5 of what?"

Shippo stopped jumping and was looking at the rest of the family like a man about to face the gallows.

"What do you mean by Step 5?" Kagome said raising her eyebrows. She looked at both kids and her eyes narrowed. Inuyasha felt the same way, and was glaring at them both. "You have something that you want to tell us?"

"Ah…" was all the noise that Shippo could say.

"Way to go, big-mouth," Shiori said.

(YAY! He asked her! He finally asked her and she said yes! Only one more chapter and the epilogue left to go! Next chapter is going to be—oh wait that will spoil the ending. This story is almost over. I hope that you all enjoying it. The next chapter is going to be going up as soon as possible. Thanks again and enjoy.)


	51. Would You Like To Dance?

**Chapter 51: Would you like to Dance? **

_You are cordially invited_

_To_

_the wedding of_

_Kagome Higurashi_

_and_

_Inuyasha Takahashi_

"Well?" Kagome asked worriedly as she came out of the shower. "I know I look horrible."

Sango looked up and down at Kagome for a moment before she said, "Not when I'm done you won't be." She walked around her, trying to see every angle before she said, "We're definitely on the right track… we're just going south instead of north. We have to go north because that's where taste is."

_(I apologize to anyone who lives in the south)_

Sango was helping Kagome to get into her wedding gown. Kagome had come out of the bathroom, washed and dried… and ready for Sango to do her worse.

"Just be gentle," she begged as she sat in the chair in front of the mirror and waited for Sango to start doing her hair. Sango gave her a wicked grin and said, while holding up a tube of lipstick, "Don't worry… this won't hurt a bit."

After an hour of pinning, tying, dressing, and brushing… Sango stood back to admire her handiwork. Once she had her first good look at Kagome she put her hands over her mouth and felt tears beginning to form, "You look so beautiful, Kagome. I think I'm going to cry."

Kagome was standing in her flowing wedding dress and a veil which sparkled in the light. Her hair was in a tight bun with two strands in the front curled and entwined with flower petals. Kagome looked at herself in the full length mirror and she couldn't believe that this was actually happening to her.

"Thank you Sango," she whispered as she hugged her. Sango was going to be her maid of honor and was wearing a light blue strapless gown that went just past her knees with silver heels. Yes, the day that everyone had been waiting for had finally come. Kagome and Inuyasha's wedding day.

Sango then handed her a bouquet made of roses of every color. "You ready to become Mrs. Takahashi?" she asked.

"I'm nervous… this is ridiculous why am I nervous?" Kagome asked her as she went back to looking in the mirror. "I got married before, you think that I would be fine."

"Yeah, but you didn't truly love Hobo did you?" Sango asked. "And you didn't have a beautiful wedding like this one. Hojo just wanted to get it over with and not make a big production out of it. But here you're marrying someone you love with all your heart, and are having the big wedding that you deserve."

Kagome blushed.

"Ah," Sango said triumphantly. "There's the blushing bride-to-be I was looking for."

Kagome laughed at her friend, feeling much better.

"MOMMY!" yelled Shiori, dressed in her beautiful, white flower-girl dress and matching flowers in her hair came running over to the women. She stared at her mother in awe before she went over and hugged her. "YOU LOOK SO PRETTY MOMMY!" she screamed. "Are we going now? Huh? Huh? Can we go? I'm sure daddy's waiting for us!"

Kagome smiled as she gave her daughter a one-arm hug. "Yes, I'm ready to go."

"Kagome," Sango said as the three of them headed out the doors. "It's ok… you can tell people what you want you know? Be selfish for once in your life… just for today? This is your day. This is your time to shine."

Kagome thought that one over before she nodded. "Ok… this is my day to do whatever I want… I want to get married."

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha paced back and forth in the bedroom, trying to relax. _'Everything is going to be fine. You were married before… you're going to be fine,' _he reassured himself. He wished he could see Kagome right now. But his mother said that the groom can't see the bride in her wedding dress until she's walking down the aisle. He sighed heavily to himself and plopped down into a chair.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Miroku who, can you believe had been picked to be best man, entered putting on gold cufflinks when he saw the groom sitting there. "Why aren't you in your suit Inuyasha?"

"What suit?"

"The one laying next to you…" Miroku sighed and snatched the long black bag that was sitting beside Inuyasha and started to unzip it. Miroku took the black tuxedo out of the bag and cast it aside. He held the suit up to Inuyasha.

"Just put the damn thing on Inuyasha!" Miroku said with an exasperated sigh.

"Keh," he huffed as he snatched the suit from Miroku. He took the pieces and laid them on the bed and looked at them in confusion. "Remind me… why am I wearing these?"

"Because it's formal!"

"Oh… so… how do I put this on?"

Miroku sighed, "Let me help you."

"Feh."

Miroku handed him the shirt and told him to put it on first. He did so and the rest of the suit followed. Miroku looked at his handiwork and was quite impressed. Inuyasha cleaned up really nice when he wanted to. And Miroku knew he wanted too. He smirked slightly and told Inuyasha to look in the mirror. Inuyasha groaned.

"What's wrong now Inuyasha?"

"What's wrong? Look at me! I look like a freaking penguin!"

"You're wearing a tuxedo Inuyasha… it looks good on you."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to complain again but Miroku cut him off.

"You are going to wear this suit Inuyasha for Kagome aren't you?"

He shut his mouth and glared at him. "Yes mom," Inuyasha said, in a sarcastic child's voice.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened again, startling to the two. Shippo, dressed in his own little tux came running over to them. His jaw dropped as he looked at his father. "Wow dad," he said. "You actually look pretty good."

Miroku smiled triumphantly in his direction, but Inuyasha merely turned his head away in embarrassment.

"You ready to go?" Shippo asked them in excitement. "Mommy and Shiori are probably waiting for us."

"Yep!" Miroku said happily as he tied his own bow-tie, took Inuyasha by the arm and dragged him out of the room.

"Watch it Miroku," he warned. Ok… the suit wasn't THAT bad… but it still made him uncomfortable. He looked down at himself again. He still couldn't believe this was happening. He was going to get married... today. Finally.

_*Wedding*_

Inuyasha stood with Miroku and Sota in his parent's backyard. Izayoi and Inutaisho had insisted on having a backyard wedding and Kagome was only too happy to agree. Kagome said this was where she wanted her wedding and he couldn't say no to her. He tugged at his collar nervously as he watched the backdoor—waiting for Kagome to appear.

Everything was coming together so nicely. He finally found his home and had a family… he found a girl that he loved more than his own life… So much they had gone through to get to this point. He had her now. And he was going to make sure it was for forever.

She was the key that opened the door to his heart. She was the one who melted the ice. Never had he felt more complete than when he was with her. And now, it would be forever. He was going to start a new life with the woman he loved and his two children. He smiled at the memory of the day he asked her. How childish it seems now. But it worked, and he was glad.

Suddenly music started and the back door to the house opened. He felt his heart pound with every shaky breath he took. Slowly, Shiori walked through the the doors, holding a basket of flower petals. She delightedly threw the petals around the aisle with Shippo, who was carrying the ring on a purple, silk pillow, walking right beside her.

Following her, were Sango and Rin, in their matching dresses, each holding a single rose to their chests, smiling happily. Everyone waited, excitedly. Inuyasha stopped breathing as enthusiasm surged through his body. The music then changed to, _'Here Comes the Bride'_.

Slowly, Kagome stepped outside, and Inuyasha's jaw dropped open.

Kagome's eyes shone like stars, her hair was tied up but a few wisps left down to frame her face, her veil flowing behind her, almost like a breeze, she closed her eyes for every couple of strides then opened them again; and every time she did—he felt his heart stop.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched Kagome walk gracefully over the threshold with her father. The dress billowed around her like water and swayed gently with the wind as she walked slowly past the rows of seats. Everyone watched in awe as she got closer and closer to Inuyasha, who looked like he had been hit in the head with a sledgehammer.

She held onto her father's arm all the way down the aisle until she finally stood next to the groom. He could see the smile on her face through the veil and he couldn't help but smiling to. They turned to face the minister, who nodded to them and began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two souls in holy union."

(Izayoi wiped a tear from her eye as the vows went on.)

"Do you Kagome Higurashi, Take Inuyasha Takahashi to be your husband. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?"

"I do," Kagome said firmly.

"Inuyasha, do you take Kagome as your wife. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?"

"I do," he whispered, unable to take his eyes off her.

They exchanged their vows, slipped the ring onto Kagome's finger, heard the priest pray, then the moment everyone had been waiting for came: the kiss.

"You may kiss the bride!" The words pounded in Inuyasha's heart. They grew closer together and their lips touched. It turned as passionate as they would allow it to turn in front of such a crowd.

FINALLY together. It seemed like déjà vu to both of them, and yet it was an all new experience. It amazed them both to see everyone they knew and loved all in the same place together, rejoicing for and with them.

_*Reception*_

Sota came running up to her, hugging her hard, smiling as he looked at her. "Congratulations, sis!"

"Thanks Sota," she said hugging him before she turned to face her father. "Dad!" she cried, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so happy for you Kagome," he whispered to her.

"Thanks daddy," she whispered back.

They were having the reception inside the house, which had been decorated beyond all recognition. There were silk banners covering the staircases, bouquets of flowers over every entrance, dozens of tables had been set up covered with sparkling plates and vases of flowers that were filled with confetti.

Wreaths of flowers and ribbons hung on the walls, while hanging topiaries were dangling from the ceiling. Real trees that were strung tiny white lights, were on either side the buffet table, and Izayoi had also rented a fountain to place in the center of the table.

"They make the cutest couple," Sango sighed, as she glanced at Kagome and Inuyasha who were cutting the cake and shoving it into each other's mouths.

"Well, if you ask me they were meant to be together," smiled Miroku as he picked up his glass. He hit it gently with his knife which made a loud clinking noise like a bell.

"Attention everyone!" he called. When everyone looked at him he stood up and said, "A toast! To the happy couple that we all know and love dearly. When you get such a good couple as Kagome and Inuyasha, you can see that love exists. I've known Inuyasha for a few years now, and those years have been filled with constant bickering, smart remarks, and embarrassing dares that I won't bore you all with. The day I heard Inuyasha and Kagome were engaged, I can't tell you how happy I was for my friend. Anyone who sees these two knew that it was fate that indeed brought them here today, and they were meant to be together. So raise your glasses to the perfect couple. May your days be filled with love that only you two can fill."

Everyone clapped, and raised their glasses. Kagome's face was glowing like the sun while Inuyasha was shaking his head with silent laughter.

Sango then stood up and said, "The day I met Kagome, I knew that we would friends. I don't know what possessed me to work at a school with screaming kids all day but it was one of the best choices I ever made. Since then I've laughed my days away, and she was always there for me when I needed her the most. The day she met Inuyasha, I knew it was love at first sight. Even though it took a while, here we are, at their wedding, happy for them both. So may love always triumph, and I hope you both live long and happy lives!"

Kagome wiped a tear from her eyes as she leaned into Inuyasha's warm embrace. "Throw the bouquet, Kagome," he whispered in her ear as he held her.

"Oh, yeah," she said, turning around at the crowd. All the women, minus Sango and Rin, gathered close together, desperate to catch the bunch of roses. They all shoved and pushed until Kagome, feeling that they were suffering enough, tossed the bouquet over her shoulders, and they all stopped dead and watched the flowers fly through the air as if in slow-motion.

"That's mine!"

"Move it!"

"Get out of my way!"

"I said MOVE it!"

"Like I care!"

"I've got it…"

"YOU got it?"

Instead, it fell lightly into Hitomi hands… Her eyes wide, she looked ahead of her, up at the bride, and then down at the flowers again. Kagome laughed at the stunned look on her face. Hitomi sincerely grinned at Kagome until all the girls began to laugh at the hopeful look on Sota's face.

It was then time to start the dancing. "Would you like to dance?" Inuyasha whispered in her ear. Kagome rolled her eyes at him as she and Inuyasha were both led to the dance floor and they shared their first dance together as husband and wife. They hardly noticed the pictures flashing, or the video camera's filming their every move—they only had eyes for each other.

She twirled and spun as Inuyasha never once let go of her hand. He then leaned in to share enough kiss, the cameras were going berserk. Suddenly other people came out onto the dance floor as well and soon it seemed like everyone was dancing. After about half an hour, the married couple finally went back to the table to rest. As Kagome began fanning herself with her hand as Inuyasha was taking several gulps of champagne… it was then that it happened.

Shippo and Shiori both came running up to them and held out a small envelope.

"What's this for?" Kagome panted as she took it.

The twins shared an identical evil grin and said at the same time, "Remember that letter we wrote to you guys a long time ago? Before we all went to the festival that day? We told you not to open it until we said so?"

Confused, their parents looked at each other for a minute before Kagome understood.

_*Flashback*_

_"Okay kids, it's time for arts and crafts," Kagome said getting all the student's attention. All of them__ hurried to their seats, mumbling and talking of what they were going to do today for arts and crafts._

_"Today we are going to draw a picture to someone that is important to you," she continued. "Everyone will create a drawing for that special someone, okay?" Kagome said as she continued to discuss today's lesson._

_"Does anyone have any questions before we start?" she questioned, Kagome saw a little hand go up almost immediately. It was no others than Shiori's; with a smile she nodded and asked her what her question was._

_"Can it be for anyone?" she asked, her warm eyes full of curiosity, as she glanced at Kagome. Kagome nodded and told her as well as the other children that it can be anyone that is special to them, their mother, their father, aunt, uncle and anyone else that they think deserves one._

_"Okay let's get started," she gestured as everyone got their crayons and paper out._

…

_Inuyasha took Shiori's hand and they began to head down the stairs when Shiori stopped and screamed, "WAIT! I forgot my picture!"_

_"What picture Runt?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up at Kagome, just as Shippo came running out of the building, with an envelope in hand and handed it to Shiori._

_"You forgot this Shiori!" Shippo called slightly out of breath._

_"Thank you Shippo!" Shiori gave him a big smile before she looked up at her father and held out the picture for him. "This is for you daddy, I made it!" she said all proud of herself. "But don't open it now!"_

_"What why?" he asked._

_"It's a surprise!" Shiori said secretively._

_She and Shippo both then shared identical evil grins… while their parents shared looks of concern._

_*End of Flashback*_

Kagome ripped open the envelope, and pulled out a picture. She stared at it for a few seconds before she began to laugh. She laughed so hard that she had to hold onto her side that was hurting.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked looking from her to the kids.

She couldn't speak, she only held out the picture to him as she continued to laugh. He took it, confused… it was a picture of him dressed in a black suit, Kagome was standing next to him in a long white dress, while the two kids were standing on either side of them with Mickey Mouse ears.

It read out near the top in rainbow colors.

CONGTATS MOM AND DAD

CAN WE COME TO DISNEY WORLD WITH YOU?

Inuyasha stared at it for who-knows-how-long before he also began to laugh. "You had this all planned out even back then?"

After Inuyasha had asked Kagome to marry him, their kids told them that they had been working for several months to get them together. (Though they didn't tell them exactly how they did it. ;-)

The twins smiled innocently up at them.

"Did everyone know that you two were trying to get us together?" Kagome asked, as she finally caught her breath.

"No," they both lied.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, you two are lucky that you're coming along. After all… the four of us have a lot of catching up to do."

They both beamed at them as they both ran out of the building to where the limo was waiting for them.

Inuyasha smiled at his new wife, and she found herself smiling right back at him. He stood up and held out his hand to help her up. As they strode after their kids he asked her, "Bringing the kids on the honeymoon? You sure that it's a good idea?"

She smiled even wider. "I missed so much of Shiori's childhood already. I didn't want to miss anymore. And besides," she lay her head on his shoulder, "Won't you miss them as well?"

"Keh," he said, but she knew him well enough to know that meant 'yes'. "Gonna be kinda hard to have any alone time with them around."

"Good thing that they'll be in a second bedroom far from ours," she whispered back. They both grinned as he leaned in for another kiss. Slowly they walked to the limo that was waiting to drive them to the airport, hand and hand. They were starting a new life together, a life that they had long waited for.

**(Thank you one and all for all your patience and support! This story is finally almost over. All that's left is the epilogue. And I can promise you all that it will go up sometime on 6-22-11. I chose that day because it will be exactly one year since I started this story. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. The end is in sight and thank you again.)**


	52. Epilogue: Save the Last Dance for Me

**(Yay! I'm finally done with this story! Thank you, thank you for being so patient and for sticking with this story for so long. It's been exactly one year ago today since I started this and I certainly hope that I didn't disappoint you all. And for those of you who've been asking for me to write a sequel to this story? I'm not making any promises… but I'll see what I can do about that. Thank you all again and please enjoy.)**

**Epilogue: Save the Last Dance for Me**

_*One year later*_

It had been just one year since Inuyasha's and Kagome's wedding—after a memorable time at Disney World, Kagome and Shippo both moved into Inuyasha's house. Inuyasha still ran a Dojo, and Kagome continued to teach at the school, while the twins quickly made up for lost time. They soon developed an annoying habit of finishing each other's sentences and spent every second of every minute of every day together.

Shippo and Shiori, who were now 7 years old, were both sitting at the coffee table drawing some pictures, looking excited.

"How about blue?" Shiori asked waving around a baby blue crayon.

"No, Sango says that we have to use pink," Shippo replied.

Inuyasha on the other hand was sitting on the couch watching them; he was looking pale and was shaking as he glanced at his watch every other minute. He seemed to be in a state of shock. Every fiber of his being was waiting and listening… praying that everything would be alright.

And then, just a few minutes later—he heard it—the cry of a newborn baby.

He leapt up so fast that he nearly knocked the table over. He almost ran the twins over in the hallway when they began racing towards the staircase, but they all stopped moving once they reached the bottom step.

"Grandpa?" Shippo called at the foot of the stairs.

"Auntie Sango?" Shiori yelled. "Are you all ok?"

No one answered except for the continued sounds of a baby crying. Suddenly, Sango appeared, leaning over the upstairs banister and called down, "IT'S A GIRL!"

The twins screamed in delight, and ran up the stairs so fast that they were tripping over each other. Inuyasha seemed too amazed to move. He could only stare at her, trying to absorb what she just said.

Once the twins reached the top of the stairs, they and Sango both headed back into the bedroom to where the crying slowly stopped.

Finally… today was the birth of their third child. They decided not to go to the hospital… Kagome wasn't willing to take any chances of something happening to the baby. Luckily her father was a doctor so they called him and Sango over to help.

Once he was able to feel his legs again, he made his way up the stairs to where his family was. Kagome told him nine months ago that they were going to expect yet another addition to their growing family. And they were going to make sure that they raised this baby… together.

He stopped in front of the bedroom door, filled with both fear and complete joy. But before he could go in, Hayato and Sango both came out, half-blinded by tears of happiness. "Congrats… dad," Sango said smirking.

"We'll leave you all alone for now," Hayato exclaimed, looking blissful. He then turned to Sango and exclaimed happily, "I'm a grandpa all over again!"

They both walked right passed him and headed downstairs, talking excitedly about the baby girl. Stunned, Inuyasha stuck his head in the room. Kagome was lying in their bed with Shippo and Shiori on either side of her, all staring at the little bundle in her arms. Kagome looked exhausted, her hair was a complete mess and she was dripping in sweat. Nevertheless, he couldn't remember seeing her look this happy.

She looked up as he entered and beamed at him. She gestured with her head to come over and said in a horse voice, "What are you waiting for? Come and meet our daughter."

Daughter… he had another daughter. He walked over and gazed in wonder at the tiny little baby that was sleeping in her mother's arms. She had creamy colored skin with Kagome's heart-shaped face. He could see that she had his impish smile and long, snowy white hair.

She looked like the perfect mixture between her parents.

"She's so cute!" Shiori cooed happily.

"Yeah," Shippo agreed. "What's her name mommy?"

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, and they both shared a silent agreement.

"Kikyo," Kagome whispered. "Your sister's name is Kikyo."

Inuyasha sat down besides her, never taking his eyes the newborn. "I don't think that she would've minded, what do you think Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"What?" he croaked.

"Kikyo," Kagome whispered. "Your Kikyo wanted a family… and I know that she would've been a wonderful mother… if she had lived. I want her to be a part of this family…"

Inuyasha nodded as a small smile played on his lips. "Yeah, I think that she would've liked that."

She smiled at him and asked, "You want to hold her?"

"Huh? Me? But she's…" she looked so small and delicate. What if he broke her?

"You held a baby before," Kagome stated, "And I know that you'll drop yourself, before you drop her."

She then held out the infant, and Inuyasha, feeling petrified, took her gently into his arms. He stared at his daughter's perfect face, completely memorized—unable to turn away.

"I can't believe how cute and tiny she is!" Shiori said happily as she crawled across the bed to see Kikyo.

"Yeah, but I wasn't cute when I was a baby," Shippo said proudly. "I looked handsome didn't I mom?"

Kagome laughed. "Oh, no," she said smiling at his horrified look. "You were absolutely adorable!"

"No I wasn't!" Shippo said indigently. "If the boys at school ever heard you call me that then I'd never live it down."

"I've got proof," Kagome said giggling.

That got Inuyasha's interest. He was finally able to tear his eyes away from the baby and asked, "What do you have?"

Kagome only beamed wider as she reached over to her side-table and opened it to pull out a picture. "I took this a while ago. The first time that you slept over at our house Shiori… I just couldn't resist," she explained and held out the picture for them all to see.

Inuyasha turned his head down to see it and started to laugh.

The picture was of Shippo and Shiori both curled up right next to each other on a large bed. Shippo was sucking on his thumb, and Shiori was curled up into a little ball like a kitten would. Their heads were both just barely touching and their hands were entwined with the other.

"Awww," Inuyasha said to Shippo as he continued to laugh. "Yeah… you _were_ cute."

They spent the rest of the day teasing Shippo and the next few weeks focused only on baby Kikyo.

_*A few months later*_

Rin was paying a visit to the happy little family and introducing Daichi to Kikyo. As her one-year-old baby played with Shippo and Shiori on the floor, Kagome talked with Rin, who had Kikyo on her lap.

"You two planning on having anymore kids?" Rin asked as she held the baby's hand.

Kagome blushed slightly and mumbled, "I don't know. Maybe… but for right now we have our hands full with just three. What about you and Uncle Fluffy?"

Rin laughed at her husband's nickname and said, "We're hoping to have some more but we decided to wait just a little bit longer before we try. Now I was wondering if you would do me a small favor?"

Kagome blinked in confusion and asked, "What?"

"Sesshomaru is having a masquerade ball tomorrow night, and I'm inviting you and Inuyasha to come."

"What is the ball for?" Kagome asked in surprise.

"Oh, it's just a party for Sessy's company," Rin said happily. "I really want you and Inuyasha to come. I'm sure that Izayoi or Sango will be more than happy to watch the kids for you."

Kagome felt her jaw drop before she stated, "But I don't have anything to wear."

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Rin said grinning from ear to ear. "I already have the costumes for both you and Inuyasha. And I must show you what I'm going to wear as well! I have it all picked out so you don't have to worry about a thing."

"But…"

"Oh, please Kagome," Rin begged. "I really want to see you come. I know your dress size and I have a mask picked out as well. Will you promise to come?"

"But I'm not sure that Inuyasha will…"

"He'll come," Rin said confidently. "This is really important for Sessy, and there is no way that Izayoi will allow him to miss it."

Kagome laughed at that. "Yes, that's the only thing that scares Inuyasha. His mother. Well—ok. The two of us haven't had a chance to go out for awhile anyway."

Rin gave a loud cheer, which caused everyone else in the room to stare at her as if she lost her mind.

_*Inuyasha*_

Inuyasha could only groan when his parents told him what they wanted him to do the next night. "Dad, do I have to go? You know how much I hate parties. Especially Sesshomaru's parties."

His father merely crossed his arms and said, "Inuyasha stop being so stubborn, you're doing this for your brother!"

"But do I really have to wear a mask?" he whined.

"It is a _masquerade_ ball…" Inutaisho said slowly as if he was talking to someone dense.

"But Kagome won't want to…"

"Oh, I know that she'll want to go," Izayoi interrupted. "Now stop complaining and get a mask. You're going and that's that. I'll be expecting you to go at around 8 o'clock and trust me, I'll know if you don't show up."

Inuyasha glared at them before he mumbled dark curses under his breath and went marching out of the room. "Fine! But I'm not going to like it!"

"Why is everyone bullying me today?" Inuyasha grumbled to himself. The last thing he wanted was to go to one of his brothers' stupid parties, but with everyone breathing down his neck already he had no choice but to grit his teeth and dealt with it.

_*The Next Day*_

"I still can't believe that they managed to talk us into this," Inuyasha muttered incredulously as he drove along the darkening road.

"Believe it 'cause they did," Kagome said as she finished putting her hair in a graceful curl before she looked out the window and up into the sky. It was getting late, and soon the ball would begin.

He sighed, "I just wish that they gave us a choice."

"They did," Kagome said rolling her eyes. "We can either go or risk having everyone hate us."

Inuyasha gave a grave laugh as he pulled outside the magnificent house and got out. He sighed as he walked around the other side of the car and helped Kagome out, but felt his breath taken away as she got out and took his arm.

Kagome was in a long white ballroom gown that fitted her body perfectly. The bottom of the dress was long and full like a mermaid's tail, and the bodice glittered with simple yet graceful trimming. The entire gown sparkled when she moved, and when it caught the light, it seem to reflect it in a multitude of pastel colors. She was also wearing just a plan silver mask—no feathers or jewels—just a simple white opera mask.

She was a goddess in his eyes and he felt like the luckiest man on earth to have this beauty walking beside him.

As soon as they locked the door and headed up a lighted pathway, a servant came forward and took their coats as they entered through the front doors.

Once they were inside, they took out their masks and put them on.

Inuyasha held Kagome's hand. "Well, let's get this over with," he said before they both headed to the ballroom.

Inuyasha and Kagome were standing in a large room that was walled with mirrors and lit with chandeliers that hung off an impossibly high ceiling. The silk covering of the walls was in a deep royal purple with a golden trim. They were also standing on an enormous and well-polished, elaborate dance floor, while the men were in silken shirts and tuxedoes. Some of them wore wide-brimmed, plumed hats; others had capes or carried staffs—but they all wore masks.

The women's were all in long silk gowns while they're hair were done up in elegant buns or braids. They too all wore masks, but theirs were done with feathers or jewels as they all danced or talked.

The dancers moved in a ring around the ballroom while the ones who weren't dancing lounged lazily on the sidelines, or flirted with one of the other guests. Waiters and waitresses were also running around and serving them trays of fruit and refilled their wine-glasses.

Kagome and Inuyasha walked through the large crowd as they made their way to one of the many tables that were set up along the walls and were filled with food and drinks. As they walked through the dancing and thriving dancers, she noticed two women peering at her through their feathered masks in curiosity. Kagome flushed, feeling horribly plain and self-conscious next to them.

She looked over at her husband and blushed at how handsome he looked. Inuyasha was in a deep crimson-red coat, buttoned all the way up to the neck while he wore a jet-black mask that looked as if it was made from darkness.

She suddenly felt Inuyasha wrap his arms around her shoulders and held her close to him.

"Care for a dance?" he asked her quietly.

"Why not?" Kagome smiled at him.

Inuyasha led her out to the middle of the dance floor and he lovingly took her in his arms. Kagome smiled with a light blush and Inuyasha chuckled and pulled her closer to him, making sure she couldn't get away from him. Kagome looked up into those beautiful golden eyes, that she fell in love with so long ago, and Inuyasha just looked down into her brown ones. From the way that Inuyasha was staring at her, she felt like the most beautiful woman in the room. All his attention was focused onto her. They were lost in their own little world and nothing could get inside.

"So strange," she whispered.

"What is?" he asked as they began to spin.

"Don't you feel like…?"

"Déjà vu?"

Kagome chuckled slightly and nodded her head. Inuyasha led her in a waltz, that could make any dancer jealous. Kagome placed her head on his chest and Inuyasha placed his head on hers, and he felt her deeply sigh in content. Inuyasha's eyes were glowing with happiness as he felt her head rise to meet his.

"I can't explain it," she told him. "I feel like—I feel like we've danced like this in a dream from somewhere before."

At that moment, she spotted Rin who was standing in the corner, in a beautiful orange and yellow dress with a golden mask, was grinning broadly at her. Kagome knew it was her, she could see her eyes shining from behind the eyeholes. Rin gave her the thumps up and leaned against the wall for a moment. Kagome was just wondering what Rin was waiting for when all of a sudden, Sesshomaru, dressed very similar to Inuyasha, only in a dark blue coat, walked over and held out his hand to his wife.

Rin gave him an adoring smile before she took his hand and walked onto the dance floor. That suddenly brought an old memory back to her.

"Wait. Now I think I know why this feels so familiar," she whispered to Inuyasha. "We already met in our dreams."

Inuyasha blinked in surprise and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Kagome laughed, "Just something Sango told me a long time ago. She told me life is like a fairy tale. You'll know your 'one true love' when they come along. She said that you have danced with them before in a dream… and you know what? I believe that."

"She's poetic isn't she?"

"That's what I said when she told me," Kagome laughed again. "But I just want to know… will you save your last dance for me or someone else?" As he stared at her in bewilderment, Kagome went on, "Sango told me… she told me that our lives are like a giant masquerade ball. Just like this one. We both arrived the moment that we were born and it ends for you when you die. We spend our lives trying to go forward. Everything and everyone is dancing around us just like the people here are doing."

At those words, they both looked around them to see the dancers who were spinning around so fast that it was becoming a blur of colors and sounds.

"Who knew life could be this flashy," Inuyasha exclaimed conversationally, earning himself another laugh from his wife.

Kagome spoke again, but in a slightly distant voice as if she was lost in a daydream, "All the guest are wearing masks; you don't know who they are or what someone is like unless you start to dance with them. Only when you do, do learn things about them and about yourself, good and bad. The whole time, you dance with that person, and once the song is over, you can either wait for the next song with them or leave and dance with someone else. You just keep on dancing, until you find that one special dance partner. Once you find that person, you dance with them for the rest of the night. Or rather, the rest of your life. And I believe that. The last dance is always the most important."

"So, when did we start our dance?" he asked her. "Was it that night at Rainbase? Or do you think it started when we first saw each other in the park that day? Was it when Shiori started going to school or the day we got married? Or do you think that it was somewhere in-between?"

Kagome felt like she was flying in his arms, as they danced faster and faster. As they twirled around, she could feel him pulling her closer. The dancers surrounding them spun out of control like a kaleidoscope; but Inuyasha was the only thing that Kagome could focus on.

"No idea," she said as she laid her head against his strong chest. "And I don't care. I just want to spend the rest of the night dancing with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She felt him let go of her hand and place it behind her neck and she felt the other one on her waist.

She pulled him even closer and whispered for his ears alone, "Inuyasha… I love you."

He smiled. "And I love you…"

Kagome knew what was coming and her eyes closed. She felt his lips on hers—he kissed her everyday—but it was different tonight… it tasted just a little bit sweeter.

She gave into his spell, and she returned the kiss as passionately as he did. She wrapped her hands even tighter around his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Both of their arms pulled the other closer, encircling them tighter. She wanted this moment, this kiss, to last forever. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in this embrace, with their lips locked together.

But then he pulled away just a few inches and asked, "Kagome?"

"Yes?" she asked confused and disappointed.

He only smiled at her frustrated pout and placed his hand on her cheek before answered, "I'm so glad it was you underneath the mask…"

True love… people take it for granted sometimes. It can cause confusion, pleasure, joy, sadness, even pain. It can be as simple as breathing or cause you to question over and over what you should do. Love, so much like death, is troublesome, inquiring even. Nobody can really understand what it's like until it actually… happens.

As for Kagome and Inuyasha… their lips met again, knowing that they had found their dance partners for the rest of the ball… for the rest of their lives…

And they wouldn't want it any other way.


	53. Credits

**Thought that i wasn't going write anymore huh? Neither did I but i decided to put these credits in. i would like to thank everyone who supported me and this story. Thank you all for your help and suggestions. and i even want to thank those of you who had written things that weren't very nice at all... you know who you are. i thought it over and i decided NOT to make a sequal. i'm sorry. but sequals are only if there is something left unsaid or undone. And i think that it ended just write. But still, i hope you all enjoyed this story. Thanks again... couldn't have done it without you.**

~AnimeFanCrazy197***

Akuma Youkai

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zia9583

Last, but not least, Eriisu. Who, without, this story wouldn't be possible. I want to give them the credit that they deserve expecially for chapter 38. Thank you so much and i wish that you success in whatever you do.


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